A Magi's Tale
by C.O.Y.L
Summary: Shirou Emiya is a third-rate Magus. His skills centered more on fighting than anything else. He is also altruistic, he would help as much as he could wherever he could. And sometimes that can cause misunderstandings. Guest reviews now moderated.
1. Prologue: Misunderstandings

**Lawyer Tom: C.O.Y.L owns absolutely nothing. He doesn't even own the characters in this story.**

**Hey! I thought you said it would only count if I said those words?!**

**Lawyer Tom: Don't lie, you weren't going to say you owned nothing.**

***Grumble* you're a piece of work you know that?**

**Lawyer Tom: Hey, you were the one that made me up. It's your fault.**

**Gah! You're so annoying sometimes.**

**Lawyer Tom: That only means you're also annoying. I'm a figment of your imagination remember.**

**There's no winning with you is there?**

**Lawyer Tom: Of course not.**

**Well, here it is. Another freaking story. I-I've got nothing to say. Just read. I'm not abandoning anything mind you, just needed to start writing this.**

**XxX**

There were a multitude of things Shirou Emiya could be grateful for. His spared life, his foster father, his 'sister', his friends from school, namely Shinji Matou and Issei Ryuudou, Shinji's sister Sakura, his magic, his own magic teacher Rin, he could go on and on about these things. And though he wasn't one to just embrace his own life and live on, he knew that without these things, he wouldn't be the person he was today.

Yes, he was grateful for all these things. But with being thankful, there were some things he wished that he didn't have in the first place.

The most prominent one in his head right now, was that his own Magic teacher Rin, had a teacher of her own that was called the Kaleidoscope.

The reason he wished he hadn't been part of his life? He woke up in another dimension.

And though this was a novel experience for him, though it was new and he hadn't experienced it before, he wasn't exactly surprised. He knew about the Wizard Marshal and how he would do the most random things. And though most of his jokes and pranks wasn't dangerous, they were still rather exasperating in their own right.

For example, an entirely heterosexual man that was scared of homosexuals could one day wake up, and have an insatiable need to procreate with a man. Yes, if that happened, there would only be one person anyone would point to as the culprit. It would be the Wizard Marshal.

To be honest, he couldn't really blame the old man. After all, he was many thousands of years old. Anyone would get bored if they lived that long without dying. The only problem was that he had the means to up his pranking to extraordinary levels with his own Magic.

That was the reason why he wasn't entirely surprised. He was also a very calm individual, even under duress. But even then, of all the things he expected the man to do, sending him to another dimension was not on the top of his list of things he would do to him.

When his eyes had fluttered open, it was to see strange rocks the size of islands and island nations floating in the air, their spire like formations rather strange for something floating in the air that defied gravity. They defied gravity by floating, so having a spire like stalagmite formation was confusing. Maybe they had been pulled off the ground?

But there was no ground. When he had seen the island rocks in the air, he had stood up, and found that he was on one as well. The strange thing was, he was inches away from falling down towards the clouds below the island rock he was on. He had no idea if he was lucky, or that the Wizard Marshal had just been considerate (or mischievous if viewed from another angle) but he had no reason to figure that out. He was here, and he was alive. The only thing left to do was try and find a way to get back to his own world.

When he had looked up to the sky however, it was to see a sickly green sky instead of the regular blue one that he was used to. In fact, it looked hazy for some reason. He didn't give it anymore thought, as it didn't matter. Knowing what the sky looked like, and knowing why it looked like that wouldn't get him home.

He had turned around, only to be met with a thick line of plants that he didn't even know existed. Heck, they looked absolutely ridiculous even. Long vines of pink flowers hung on trees that looked more grass than tree. And even the grass looked like mini-trees, like they were bonsai trees that grew only centimeters.

He had sighed, before he Traced a nameless machete in his hand. Strangely enough, he could feel his magic thrum as he did so, the circuits inside his body letting his natural od flow through without much trouble. And when the machete had appeared in his hands, he had to blink twice before he noticed that it was _flawless_.

Though most of his Projections were copies of things, of weapons, they were always flawed in some way. They were identical in make, weight, and even in material made, but his Projections were inferior to the original, always. No matter if it were Noble Phantasm or a regular kitchen knife, it was _always_ flawed.

Yet, for some reason. He felt that this machete was whole, _complete,_ heck, it even felt like it was the real thing. Which should have been all but impossible, no matter how much he imagined the original, no matter how much he imagined his Projection to be the real thing, Gaia would always deny that it was the real thing, that it was the same as the original.

Then realization dawned on him. He wasn't on Gaia. He was in another dimension. Which means, this machete, a machete he had copied, may as well have never even existed in this strange place with floating rock islands. But if that were the case, then he shouldn't have been able to use his magic in the first place. Magic was connected to Gaia, and to some extent, Alaya. Mana and Od came from Gaia and were fused together to create Prana, the magical energy that was expended to form magic. Mana came only from Gaia, while Od came from a persons latent inhaling of Mana from the Mana that surrounded everything. To create Prana and form it into his perfect machete without Mana and only Od, it just wasn't possible. But then again, the machete was in his hand, and seeing was believing.

He shrugged his shoulder. Now wasn't the time to think about these things. He still had to get through the thick foliage of alien plants that he wasn't exactly sure were poisonous or carnivorous. Pushing thoughts of impossible magic out of his head, he swung the machete sideward and stepped forward. He repeated the action, and soon enough, he was moving forward. He had no idea where he was going, but it was better than there on the cliff.

He had no idea how far he had gone, but after a while, the strange forest began to clear. The grass-trees began thinning, and even the vine of pink flowers started to get sparser and sparser.

But as he started slowing down, he heard something that made him Reinforce his body and plow through the forest at an even greater pace.

"Ahhhh! Someone help!" The shout had come from somewhere in front of him. It didn't need to be said, but when someone – anyone really – called for help when he was near, he would always go to them.

Finally he cleared the strange forest. He looked forward, towards the city that were consisted of stone buildings and stone pavements, and saw smoke rising from the center of the small town. He didn't think, he only acted, and soon, he was running at full speed, his Reinforced legs getting harder and pushing him faster and faster as he rushed towards center of the smoke.

He brushed past the people running past him, and didn't stop as some of them warned him he was going in the wrong direction. And though he was running at an obscene rate, faster than a gazelle running from a cheetah, he could still hear bits and pieces of why the people were running.

"He's a monster!" "He knocked out the royal police! What kind of man is he?!" "My house! He destroyed my house that bastard!"

It was those words which prompted him to Reinforce not only his legs, but also his entire body. Eyes got sharper, allowing him to see further and cleared, ears became better, allowing him to hear better than before. His body, or better to say his muscles, got harder, allowing him to move better as well as take hits better. These feats were all possible because Reinforcing things didn't just make things harder. It made things better with magic. Swords grew sharper as well as harder; computers got faster, light bulbs brighter. These were some of the things you could do with Reinforcement. It didn't need to be said, but he could also Reinforce his Projections. But that came later.

He skidded to a halt as he saw the catastrophe in front of him. Bodies of people, of knights now that he got a good look at them, were strewn about haphazardly. Most were on the stone floor, but some were leaning on walls, and the most unfortunate ones had been thrown through the stone walls of the houses, their backsides sticking out in precarious positions. Some were even head deep like an ostrich in those old Saturday morning cartoons he occasionally saw with Taiga.

He went over to the nearest one, letting the machete still in his hand dissipate, absently noting that he had to consciously let it dissolve, instead of letting it dissolve naturally like he was used to. It wasn't like it was draining him but still, it was a tidbit of information for later. He noted that the knight he was leaning over was still alive, just unconscious. He frowned, though he was unconscious, the dents in the man's armor made him wince slightly. They were deep, which only meant that whoever had done this to the numerous knights that were unconscious, they were powerful. One just didn't hit a knight's armor and dent it like that.

He didn't count how many knights were knocked unconscious, there were too many to count anyway. And instead, he chose to continue forward, his steps silent as he tried to find whoever had done this much damage. He passed a flaming cart of flowers that he was sure was the cause of the smoke cloud that he had seen in the distance, before he Traced Kanshou in his right hand, and Bakuya in his left. His go-to weapons.

"Gihihihihi!" He heard an obnoxious laughter, which was followed by the sound of metal hitting metal. "Is that all you've got? I thought you were the kings police force! Shouldn't you guys be strong?"

The voice came from just behind the corner, and as he prepared to move forward, the sound of metal hitting metal resounded again and a knight flew from the corner he had been about to turn. The knight crashed on the wall close to him, and had looked up. Even through the visor, he could see the fear in the man's eyes. The man was scared, so scared that when he passed out, the man uttered one word that was as damning as it was obvious.

"M-M-Monster…"

Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to jump out of the corner and strike. But before he could, the sound of fighting suddenly stopped and the monster's voice suddenly sounded again. "So, this is the lacrima. Geez, Mystogun didn't say anything about it being this big. How am I supposed to do this again?"

Carefully, he stepped forward and peeked through the corner. He saw the man's back, he was rather tall with a mane of black hair on his head that reached his back. He was slightly tanned, and the man's clothes could only be described as drab, a grey sleeveless shirt with white pants and black steel-toed shoes.

But though the man certainly stood out, what caught his attention was the giant glowing crystal he was standing on. It looked expensive, valuable, and even beautiful. He sniffed, and found that he could smell trace amounts of prana in it. It was rather odorless, but he could faintly place the smell as strawberries for some reason.

"Oh yeah!" The man moved, presumably to smack his fist into his hand as if he suddenly had an idea. "He told me to smash it with my magic!" The man stepped back, and prepared himself.

He didn't allow him to continue. That crystal looked valuable, and if he ventured a guess, that crystal may be the lifeline of the entire town. Cutting off pieces of it to sell. If not, maybe it was the town's landmark, it was what made the town. Either way, he couldn't let the man just smash it to pieces.

He jumped out of the corner he was hiding in and threw Kanshou and Bakuya in an arc. The twin swords flew through the air, sailing in opposite directions before they started arcing towards each other, their innate magnetism to each other forcing them to never be apart.

The swords arced, and it's zenith just so happened to be the man that was preparing to smash the obviously valuable crystal of the town they were in.

The swords hit home, but he didn't smile, he didn't smirk. He only Traced another pair of the black and white swords in his hand. Normally, this wouldn't be needed, as a direct hit like that would result in either too much injury, or would outright kill his target.

But the man had just stood there, in his previous position of holding his arm back and preparing to smash the crystal to pieces, and took his two swords directly without flinching. The only indication that they had hit at all was the fact that there was a distinct sound of metal hitting metal, before the thrown Kanshou and Bakuya fell on the ground, their blades crossing as they did so.

"Damn, I thought I got rid of every one of you." The man muttered before he turned around. He narrowed his eyes as he took on the full features of the man in front of him.

The bridge of the man's nose was pierced, as well as the top of his two eyebrows, the man's onyx eyes seemed more annoyed than calculating, and the man had a deep frown on his face as he stared at him.

"Damn, no armor this time? And the same swords? Not to mention your strange sense of style. Am I against the knight's jester or something?" The man sounded more exasperated than cautious. But he wasn't offended, that only meant he would make a mistake.

"Oh well, better knock you out like your adoring fans." To his surprise, the man threw his hand forward, which then turned into an iron pillar that came at him at surprising speed.

He dropped both Kanshou and Bakuya to his sides, and as the pillar was about to hit him, his hands flew forward, deflecting the pillar just to the side of his head. He felt it brush against his hair, but didn't pay it much attention as he flew forward.

His opponent seemed surprised at his speed, and had began to retract his pillar/hand. But he had been a second too late as he was now upon him. But instead of using either Kanshou or Bakuya, he dropped both and Traced another weapon all together.

The steel xiphos appeared in his hands, and he reinforced it to the point of breaking it. It wasn't a Noble Phantasm, but it was a mystic code. Its job wasn't to cut, but it was to smash. Whoever had designed the thing may have been loony, as they didn't' think of using a hammer to smash instead of a sword.

That being said however, it did its job well. The memories he had from the sword told him that it once smashed through three anvils and smashed them in half.

And that was before it was Reinforced with his Prana.

The blunt side of the sword met the man's chest, and the sound of metal hitting metal sounded again. He was confused at that, but didn't give it much thought as he pushed forward, letting his momentum smash with the xiphos, which translated into letting the xiphos smash against his opponent.

The attack sent the man flying, the man's pillar/hand now back to normal. The man flew just above the ground, before he collided with a stone house. But that didn't stop him, through the house he went, and then through another, before he finally stopped inside a third house a ways away from his original standing position.

He let the nameless xiphos dissipate, but he didn't let his guard down. It usually wasn't always this easy.

"Gihihihi!" See what he meant? "You're real interesting! For a clown, you sure do hit hard!" He narrowed his reinforced eyes as he stared at the man walking through the rubble of the downed houses he went through. The man was rolling his shoulders, and though he was just sent through two and a half houses, he looked better than ever. It wasn't until he looked up, to the man's mouth, did he notice he was chewing something. And it wasn't until he glanced at the man's hand, did he notice that he was eating a sword of all things.

"I hope you got more where that came from clown, cause this time, I ain't holding back! Remember the name Gajeel! Cause I'm gonna be your maker!"

With those words, his opponent charged.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

**Yeah yeah yeah. It's Tail, and not Tale. But Shirou will not have a tail okay? This will be his tale.**

**I've started re-watching Fairy Tail, and this was the result of that endeavor. Oh well, I like writing. Sue me.**

**I'm not abandoning anything, in fact, the latest chapter of Mechanized Magus should be up, and the next chapter of Zero night is about 65% complete. But still, this wouldn't be silenced. This had to be written!**

**If you guys noticed, Shirou isn't in Earthland, he's in Edolas. But that's for right now. He'll go to Earthland, but right now, I have him and the entire Fairy Tail cast in Edolas, simply because I don't see Edolas used too much, and it seems like a good place to start the story, unique, and absolutely easy to write.**

**Again, this is the prologue. I usually do this to get hype for the story. And hopefully, that did the trick. Either way, Review and tell me what you guys think.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	2. The Start of the Prelude

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. And once again, I find myself too lazy to write Lawyer Tom into this.**

**Lawyer T-**

**Nope**

**Lawy-**

**Nope**

**La-**

**Nopety-nopety-nope**

**Okay guys, we don't need to be nitpickers. Let me do the heavy thinking, and let yourselves sit back and enjoy the read. I know what prana is, it's just that Shirou is the narrator. And you guys know how Shirou is. Snarker (to himself), sort of sexist, and very, very, VERY, idiotic in terms of thinking. As he just goes in gung-ho without a plan sometimes. His idiocy is correlated to his lack of self-preservation instincts.**

**And before you guys kill me for Erza's appearance and lack of action in this story. I'm going to tell you guys, she is someone that thinks things through. Granted, she prefers to use action instead of words to get things done, but she isn't, say Natsu, or heck, even Shirou. She thinks things through if she's in a weird predicament, case in point, Lullaby. She wanted nothing more than to just get on to it and charge the enemy as soon as she could, but she didn't and thought about how hard it would be do it. She knows her limits, and she knows when to play to it. In this chapter, she has no idea what Shirou did, and why he did it. But if you saw someone who literally has a body of steel (I wonder, if Shirou changes his body to swords and Gajeel and him have a fist fight, who would win?), you would no doubt try and think of a way to **_**not**_** fight the guy that hurt the guy with the body made of steel. With that said, just enjoy reading what I have planned.**

**Also, this is HA Shirou. What's HA? It's HA… Oh fine. HA, or Hollow Atraxia is a mixture of the three routes with no set one that was followed. Of course, even though this is HA, there are some things that aren't exactly explained clearly in that novel, so I've taken the liberty of adjusting it to some extent. Not to change the character too much, but to just make it clearer and easier to understand.**

**Also a big thank you to souvikkundu0017! I'm still in the middle of reading past page ten. But his list of Noble Phantasms both canon, and fanon really helped with inspiration to keep writing. The nameless bow itself was inspired by one of the Noble Phantasms I read about in his list. Again, thank you!**

**On with the show!**

**XxX**

He had faced a multitude of enemies before. From manipulative bastards that used minions instead of fighting head on, to Dead Apostles that relied on the strength of their siblings to take him down as a team of two to four. Yes, you could say that he was well versed with fighting with odds against him, heck; you could go so far as say that he was good at fighting enemies smarter than him by a large margin.

Then there was the fact that enemies that were stronger, faster, and overall just plain better than he was had a weakness to him. It was weird, obscure even. People that were impossible to be defeated by other people, were easily defeated by him. Granted, most of his enemies in those regards have underestimated him greatly, but that didn't excuse say, dying via counter sword spam. Yes, he was talking about that arrogant king of heroes. If the man had just bothered to use his strongest weapon against him, he wouldn't be standing here right now. But that was in the past, and now he was off fighting against another enemy.

His opponent right now however, was not smarter than him, nor was he better than him. Though the man calling himself Gajeel was as strong as a mystical mountain bull, his premeditated attacks and slow speed made him easy to read.

He casually ducked under another pillar/fist that his opponent chucked at him before he rushed forward, Kanshou slicing at his opponent's right side that garnered sparks as the black blade slid on the man's unusually hard skin. That didn't deter him however, when he suddenly twisted his body, and flexed his right leg into a kick onto the man's back.

He winced slightly as he felt the kick shake even his reinforced bones, whatever this guy was made of, he was absolutely hard! But though it made him wince, though it hurt even his reinforced body, the kick still did what he intended it for.

He watched as the man's body began closing onto his foot, his kick having been hard enough to actually make metal break. The kick sent the man flying, towards another house, where he again, smashed through. It was strange though, his kick was hard sure, and it would have sent any man flying. But it most certainly wouldn't have made his opponent go through a house. The man didn't look heavy, he didn't look fat, only muscular. So maybe the man's biomass was something to be noted. He idly thought of finding a river, and finding out if the man could swim.

He didn't get far from his thoughts before his opponent – Gajeel – began to laugh again from behind the cloud of dust that he had formed after crashing onto the house. He watched as Gajeel's silhouette readied itself, before he suddenly charged at him. The cloud of dust parting as Gajeel had come at him with speeds that he was pretty sure weren't possible for someone that he assumed to be exceptionally heavy.

"Iron dragon's:-" His opponent trailed as he watched him clasp his hands together as if holding a sword. His eyes widened as he saw what began to take shape in those clasped hands. Almost instinctually, he raised both Kanshou and Bakuya and narrowed his eyes to focus onto what he already knew as a sword. "-Iron sword!"

In a flash, a sword made of iron suddenly appeared in his opponent's hands. He Grasped it as soon as it did, and found that… it was a newly made sword. No memories, not even the way it was made. He only knew that it was an iron sword made of some strange iron. That was it.

Gajeel raised the sword over his head, ready to slam it down onto him without much preamble. He wouldn't let that happen.

He raised both Kanshou and Bakuya and formed a crossguard as Gajeel swung down. The impact caused sparks to fly from the point where the three swords met. He winced slightly as he felt his muscles strain under the strength of his opponent. He felt his bones creak as the strength was added with weight. And he almost buckled as his opponent forced more power into the swing.

"Gihihihi!" His opponent laughed. He wasn't sure if the laugh was because he was enjoying the fight, or because he was enjoying seeing him struggle. "You may be a clown, but you're a good clown!"

Alright, he had just about enough of being called a clown.

Taking a gamble, he shifted his weight to the side, allowing his opponent to lurch forward slightly, before he dropped all his resistances and sidestepped hastily to the right. He missed getting slashed by mere inches, before he retaliated by slashing both Kanshou and Bakuya down onto his opponent's exposed back as he flew past him. The attack caused the man to lurch forward even more, his back arcing as the twin swords strained to slash something they weren't designed to destroy.

That entire exchange only lasted for two seconds.

A cloud of dust erupted from around them as he felt his opponent impact the ground beneath him, causing it to form spider-web like cracks and making it uneven. He made a mental note to apologize for the damages he might have caused later. He would most definitely help with the fix-up anyway.

He jumped back to gain some distance, knowing that wouldn't be enough to keep the man made of iron down. Man made of iron… for some reason, that name fit his opponent.

He cursed as he saw his opponent begin to stand, shaking off whatever cobwebs that might have come from getting smashed on the ground. After the man stopped shaking, he turned towards him, that same grin still on his face as he stared into him.

"Now this!" His opponent shouted as he took after him again, his right hand extending forward, turning into a pillar of iron that came at him. The added momentum of his opponent charging at him made the pillar come at him slightly faster than he expected, and thus, he couldn't fully dodge the pillar coming at him. "This is a fight!"

"Ghk-!" He silently cursed as the pillar grazed his right shoulder. But that didn't stop him from jumping back and trying to gain even more distance from his opponent.

He landed with a soft thud, kneeling down on one knee as he clasped his right shoulder with his left hand, Bakuya still in his grip that was now leaning onto his body. He narrowed his eyes at feeling his right shoulder sting. He was only grazed, and even then he had reinforced his body. And that still stung him, caused it to bruise.

He took a deep breath as he stood, ignoring the pain that would no doubt heal as soon as the fighting restarted. He realized then that his opponent… wasn't someone you wanted to fight against head on.

The man landed where had just been moments before, his hand reverting back to its regular human shaped one. The man's grin was still there, and he could tell right then and there, he was enjoying this fight. A feeling that was definitely not mutual.

Making a split-second decision, he allowed both Chinese swords in his hands to dissipate. Taking notice that again, they seemed more… real than when he had been on Gaia. Shaking his head briefly, he narrowed his eyes at his opponent, who seemed to be giving him a confused stare.

"Oi!" He shouted. His hands waving in front of him threateningly. "You ain't givin' up are ya? Come on! Just when it was getting fun!" His opponent complained, but he didn't react.

He allowed his mind to clear. He reached into his World, and allowed the gun in his head to cock and fire. He felt his circuits flare, but instead of using all twenty-seven, he allowed only fifteen. In the second it took him to reach out and imagine, in the second he allowed fifteen of his circuits to flare, the bow appeared in his hand.

It wasn't His bow. No, His bow was black, sleek, and made to fire off Broken Phantasms. And as much as he imagined, as much as he tried to figure out the bow, he couldn't comprehend it. It wasn't his, and it most certainly wasn't made for him.

The bow in his hand was unique that it was short. Shorter than a short bow. Made of flimsy wood, the string seemed to be straining while holding the two ends of the bow together. The bow was flimsy, the string was straining, and the entire thing didn't look like something you would use as a weapon unless you wanted it to break on the first arrow it released.

And that was what he was going to do.

His eyes still closed, he cocked the gun in his head again, and fired. This time, allowing a sword to appear in his other free hand opposite of the bow.

As the sword formed, he allowed himself to imagine it changing shape, sleeker, more aerodynamic, like an arrow. He was by no means an expert on this, much less a master. But he could do it, he could make it, but not perfectly.

The sword/arrow began to take shape. The hilt became the blunt end of the arrow, no feathers as he couldn't make it perfectly like an arrow. The sharper edge, the blade of the sword became the head, it only encompassed the other end of the arrow, but that really was all it took. He didn't need the entire sword, he only needed the blade to form the arrows tip.

Finally, the arrow began glowing white, and though it radiated heat from his Prana being inside it, it didn't grow hot in his hand.

The two weapons in his hands, the bow and the arrow, were meant for a one shot deal. True, he could theoretically make another set of these things, but it wasn't practical. Just these two things took a lot out of him, changing the structure of a sword to an arrow, and projecting a bow. It wasn't like Projecting a sword, something he had no trouble doing.

He opened his eyes, and was met with the curious stare of his opponent. "Hey, are you part of the guild?" He asked, his voice holding curiosity and confusion. He didn't react.

His only response was to take the arrow and cock it into the bow. He pulled back, and he felt the air around him shift. Wind started blowing, and the air became pressurized.

Thus was the power of the bow. It was a nameless Noble Phantasm that didn't belong to any one hero. It was mostly passed down to nameless individuals that used the bow only once in their lives. As that was the instruction of whoever had passed it down in the first place. The bow wouldn't last for more than one shot. Thus, the shot had to be absolute, had to be sure would hit. The winds would pick up when the bow was cocked, and the air would grow pressurized, making the user of the bow buckle under his own breathing. The bow would make it as hard as physically possible to hit the target, make the one shot lost. A glimpse into the past of the bow revealed that only twice in its long history has had a person hit the intended target. Twice, and it made all the difference for him.

If the arrow that was released from the bow hit, it would pierce, whatever it was it hit.

But though the bow was a sure kill bow, a bow that will kill if the arrow hit, the sword was the exact opposite. At least, for his opponent. And though he was working on a gut feeling, on the assumption that the man's body was indeed made of metal, he had no qualms with the arrow hitting and piercing the man himself.

The sword was a sword that refused to destroy metal, refused to pierce, slash, or destroy metal. So therefore, it would refuse to pierce his opponent if the man was indeed made of metal.

Again, it was nameless, but unlike the bow, this wasn't a Noble Phantasm, it was a sword enchanted by a pacifist of a man that did not wish for war to continue. This wasn't the only thing weapon in his World that had the same attributes, if he wanted to, he could pull out sabers, warhammers and axes, even daggers that would not destroy metal. The man that made these weapons was a blacksmith that wished for the fighting to end.

He stopped the fighting, but only briefly. He underestimated man's anger with each other, if they could not kill with swords, spears, hammers or axes, they would kill with their hands.

He cleared his head, the sword/arrow was now ready, the bow was as well, judging from the wind that was brushing past him and picking up debris around him. He narrowed his eyes and focused. His opponent hadn't moved, he hadn't even spoken the moment he pulled out the bow and sword except for asking an obscure question he had no idea how to answer to. But he was grinning, and that accounted for something.

"You want to hit me with that?" His opponent taunted him, his eyes held the confidence of someone that had survived much worse. "That won't bother me at all!" The sheer confidence in his opponent made him stare at him dumbly, before he finally spoke up for the first time since their fight started.

"Dodge it." Was all he said, before he opened his mouth again. But not to speak to his opponent, no, it was to invoke his own spell, the spell that was given to him as he walked down his path.

"**I am the Bone of my Sword."** He released the string, the bow broke in his hands, and the arrow flew.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

The moment Erza Scarlet opened her eyes, the first thing she did was scan her surroundings. Years of sleeping in the wilderness as an S-class mage on S-class missions made her weary of nature, as she knew that nature itself was the hardest enemy to defeat in missions that lasted for more than a week.

She expected to wake up in a forest, or even underwater. But judging from the lack of softness that was usually attributed to grass, and from the lack of water entering her lungs, she knew that both cases were false. So when she finally shook off the grogginess from waking up, she saw the battleground that she was on.

Bodies of knights that she had no idea who belonged to (The Rune knights she was used to had a different kind of armor with a different coat of arms, and these ones looked much more fearsome than those she was used to) littered the broken street. Half-destroyed buildings were standing all around her, and judging from the rubble that was around those buildings and in front of some, she knew that there were even more buildings before she had woken up in the first place.

She scanned the devastation, and she found that she couldn't help but attribute the scene to most of Natsu's own brand of destruction. All it really needed was fire. Except… there was a hint more destructiveness in this scene then what she was use-

"G-g-great…" She snapped her head to the side, and was met with the broken and battered form of the Iron dragon slayer Gajeel. "W-with y-you here, I-I don't have to lift a finger."

She reeled as she finally registered the injuries of her guildmate. He was clutching his chest in presumable pain, as there was an unsightly huge dent on it. She wondered what kind of weapon could damage the extremely tough Iron man, before she pushed that thought out of her head. Her guildmate was injured and bleeding! She could wonder about that later.

"Gajeel!" She shouted as she dropped from the podium she was on and rushed towards him. It was only her honed senses from countless battles that saved her from getting impaled by an arrow that swept up the debris as it passed right past her face. A second after the arrow passed her however; there was the sound of a boom, followed by the sound of fluttering wind, meaning that arrow had passed the sound barrier.

She didn't watch the arrow, she didn't even give it a second thought as it crashed against the building to her side and toppled it. Instead, she turned and stared at who had released the arrow in the first place. Who she found was a slightly tanned man with red hair holding onto a black bow that looked like it came from the hide of the Black Dragon itself. His eyes were shining an unearthly gold, and though she could see confusion in his face, it didn't mask his cold stare as it bore through her.

"…Who are you?" The man asked, his eyes narrow as another arrow appeared in his free right hand that he notched into his bow. She narrowed her eyes in realization, he was an Exquip mage just as her, but instead of armor or swords, he used his own dimension for arrows. Yet… For some reason, she couldn't quite say what she had thought was right. That arrow did not feel like an arrow, nor did it feel like any kind of projectile, even the man's bow wasn't normal.

She didn't answer her question, and instead, stepped back a bit so she could see Gajeel from her peripheral vision. She saw him wheezing and clutching the giant dent in his chest, but otherwise, still alive.

"D-D-Don't try and fight him yet Scarlet." Gajeel warned her, before he started rummaging through his damaged pants. She kept her eyes on the man in front of her, but at the same time, tracked Gajeel's movements through her peripheral vision. "Mys-" Gajeel bucked, before he went into a coughing spree. She moved slightly closer to her guildmate, but the man's sudden pulling of the arrow kept her in place.

"Mystogan said you wo-won't be able to use magic yet." Gajeel finally ground out as he kept his breathing paced. He held out his hand, and in it, she saw a plastic container holding red pills that she had no idea what did. "H-he said to drink this."

She grit her teeth, getting annoyed that she had absolutely no idea what was happening. "What are you talking about Gajeel?!" She spat out as she readied herself to jump at her guildmate and grab the pill. For some reason, she found she could not _not_ believe what Gajeel had said. There was a tinge of desperation in his voice, and she found that she couldn't really argue with him.

"I-I'll tell you later, but the lacrima behind you has more of our allies as well." Gajeel ground out as he tried standing, strangely enough, the man that held them at arrow point made no move to stop him from doing so. She however, didn't turn around and look for the lacrima, she couldn't take her eyes off this man. Unless she wanted an arrow to her back that is.

"…Are there more of you in that crystal?" The man asked, his voice steady, but otherwise, neutral as he cast his eyes towards her guildmate.

Gajeel let out a snort. Even in his injured state, he could still be flippant if he really wanted to. "You just saw Scarlet get out of that didn't you? Do I need to use more of my magic to prove it t-to you?" She noticed Gajeel's hand begin to morph into a pillar of iron, and the man's aim moved from her to her guildmate.

For a few tense seconds, neither party moved, neither party even dared breath. She was half-way to charging forward and trying to take down the man before he could aim that bow at her, but realized that was a futile effort. The arrow would break the sound barrier, and no matter how fast she was, she couldn't' dodge that at this range, at less than fifteen meters.

"What will happen to the town if you take the crystal?" That surprised her, she was under the impression that the man was close to bifurcating them both to make the larcrima stay where it was. Yet, here he was asking what would happen to the town if they just took it.

She didn't answer, and allowed Gajeel to answer for them. She still was in the dark about all this, and as much as she wanted to take over the conversation, she couldn't. She could only let her guildmate guide it. "Heck if I know, I just know that Mystogun told me to destroy the thing because it had our guildmates in it."

The man seemed to adopt a thoughtful look, before to her surprise, he dropped the bow and let it dissipate into particles. "Take it." He said before he turned around and moved towards the closest knight that was still unconscious.

"Wait, what?!" Gajeel sputtered at the sudden words. "Are you telling me that after all that, after our fight and after you dent my body, you'll just let me take the damn thing without so much as a second glance?!"

The man dropped to one knee and began to look over the presumably unconscious man. He didn't even look towards them, before he answered. "It doesn't really matter anymore. People are trapped in that thing, and I've caused enough damage to last for a week. Continuing to fight will outweigh the pros that could be had with fighting for the crystal." He said, before he paused and turned around. Looking them both over. "And if you're telling the truth, then this way, both sides win." He finally said before he turned around and began to look over the man in the armor again.

She didn't relax, but she turned towards Gajeel and watching him scratch the back of his head in confusion. "I don't really get it," He said before he let out a sigh. "But I guess you're right. Don't expect me to thank you though." Gajeel finished before he turned towards her and threw the pill at her. "Here Scarlet, swallow that and help my move that lacrima. As much as I want to get the thing destroyed right now, I can't. My fight with him took a lot from my reserves."

She deftly caught the red pill, before she looked at it and shrugged her shoulders. She placed it into her mouth, and swallowed in the same second. Gajeel had already proven himself, there was no point in not trusting him.

Immediately after she swallowed however, she felt a surge of power course through her body. She beat down a shiver that threatened to escape her body. She finally settled down, and found that her body felt more… natural now. Like something that she hadn't noticed before had suddenly returned to her body. She tested out her magic by summoning a sword. The sword appeared in her hand, before she nodded her head, looks like whatever that was that had been inhibiting her unconsciously before, was now gone.

As she de-summoned the sword however, she caught sight of the red-haired man staring at her with an unreadable expression. She wasn't exactly sure, but from the way he was staring, she thought he was staring through her and not at her.

Before she could call him out however, he had turned around and began to look over the current knight he was on.

"Hey Scarlet! A little help!" She turned around and was met with Gajeel's strained face. She had to rush over towards him to try and help him. The idiot had tried to carry the entire thing on his own, in his injured state no less!

"Idiot! Don't carry that thing on your own!" She berated as she caught up to him. She helped Gajeel by moving to the other side of the rather large crystal, before she hoisted it onto her left shoulder. It wasn't exactly heavy, but still, the sheer size of the thing and the unstable surface made it a little hard to get a leverage on where she could put her hands on it.

As they began their exit of the town however, she cast one more look behind her, taking in the man's form as he went from knight to knight to help them in their injuries. The man… intrigued her for some reason.

Deciding that it was more of a curiosity than any obsession, she returned her focus onto carrying the lacrima. Okay, left foot first and then right. Left, right, left, right…

**XxX**

He hadn't expected reinforcements for the knights to arrive so early. It hadn't even been an hour since his fight with that strange iron man Gajeel and seeing a human person emerge from a destroyed crystal.

Even stranger was the fact that the knights came in legion, obscene numbers rushed inside the town that put shame to the Enforcers he was so used to in his world. Number wise that is, the Enforcers were more quality over quantity, but he was getting off topic.

He dropped the hammer he was using to fix the roof of a house that had been partially destroyed, letting it dissipate into particles as he jumped down from the roof, cutting off the group of knights from advancing any further.

"Halt!" He raised an eyebrow at leader knight's command. They were the ones that stopped. "In the name of his Majesty, I order you to raise your hands above your head and kneel on the ground!" That was exasperating, he could have just said to surrender to them.

Not like he was going to anyway. He shook his head at them. "I can't do that," He began, making the knights tense as they readied their weapons at him. He didn't give them much thought. "The injured are all in the plaza, they're all knocked out and rattled, but otherwise, they're fine." He explained as he turned around, preparing to lead them towards the mass of knocked out knights.

He stepped to the side as a bola of… ether? Came rushing past him. He turned around and shot a dirty glare at the knights. "What was that for?" He asked, more annoyed than insulted from their backhanded way of attacking.

"In the name of his Majesty the king." A single knight stepped forward, his armor significantly larger and… shinier than the others. He was also larger and much bulkier than the rest. A tabard with a crest he didn't recognize was on his back, flapping forward as the wind was to the knight's back. He was holding a steel long sword in his right hand, whilst holding a rather large shield in his other. He pointed the sword at him, leveled with his own chest in a gesture of challenge. "I order you to surrender."

He narrowed his eyes at him, dropped his hands to the side in his most preferred stance. He was trying to help these people, why would they want him to surrender? "I'm trying to help yo-"

"We do not need the help of a mage." The large knight sneered through his visor. The way he had spat those words out sounded like he would die before asking for help from a mage. "Now stand down and surrender all magical items on your possession."

He narrowed his eyes at the knight. He wasn't listening to him, and it didn't look like he could reason with him. Maybe a gesture of strength might convince him?

"You want _all _of it?" He asked as if to clarify, raising his hand over his head in surrender.

The knight dropped his longsword to his side. "Yes. All of it mage. Every single item." He emphasized the last part.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "If you say so." He said as he dropped his eyes to the ground.

"Trace On." He chanted. The gun in his head fired. A sword appeared in the air. He focused even more. A spear followed the sword, and then another sword followed the spear. Sword, dagger, spear, hammer, axe, every weapon he could pull out of his World appeared behind him in the air.

Then he upped the stakes. "Roll Out."

From one weapon per second, it became five, and then seven. Soon enough, the sky was blackened from the sheer number of weapons he called forth. Though he was doing this to scare the knights off, he was also testing his limits in this strange world. He could only normally let out a set number of weapons into the world before he dropped from Prana exhaustion. Rin had tested that limit, and they found out that he could only conceivably Project over fifty swords without falling flat on his face, seventy-six if he wanted to knock himself out.

Yet, for some reason, he was pushing the one hundred and seventy six mark.

His circuits weren't burning his body, and he could feel his Od drain from each sword that appeared in the air. Yet, the weapons weren't deteriorating, they weren't disappearing as well. Even his regular prana output with Projecting swords weren't the same, from two units of prana per sword, to only a quarter of a quarter. But even then, he couldn't make the swords stay corporeal with just Od, so he used mana. He could feel the mana in the air, and he used that to supply the energy necessary to make the weapons stay corporal, but even then, he wasn't getting tired.

And even stranger, each weapon, each sword, each Noble Phantasm, Mystic Code, Conceptual weapon. They were all near perfect.

In his World, they were as perfect as could be. They were as perfect as the original, and when he imagined them into the world, that was when they turned imperfect. He couldn't conceive them perfectly, and thus, they would always be flawed. Even now, he could not conceive the weapons perfectly; they were still flawed, near perfect, but still flawed. And even then, since he was only copying those weapons in the first place, Gaia would know they would be imperfect.

Yet the weapons in the air behind him were near perfect. He could not conceive them as perfect; he wasn't disciplined enough for that yet. But it was like they were the original, like they were weapons that this world had never seen before.

Original, but not quite.

He opened his eyes, letting the gun in his head stop shooting. He looked forward, towards the impassive form of the legion of knights and their leader, who were standing awestruck at what he had done.

"It's not everything," He said carefully, raising his hand. The gesture made the weapons turn towards the legion of knights. "But it's as close to everything I can give you."

He wasn't going to fire mind you, but still, a gesture of power is needed here. "Now, can I help or do I have to give these weapons to you?" He asked, narrowed his eyes in challenge at the large knight.

The man made to answer, but before he could, a strong gust of wind began blowing down on them. He knew that the wind was artificial, and that whoever was making the wind, was quite large.

"Stand down captain." A male voice sounded from the top of the weird leviathan. He looked up and was met with the sight of… pink armor with no pants.

"Captain Sugarboy." The tall captain of the legion exclaimed, before, to his surprise, inclined his head in respect to the man on top of the floating leviathan.

The man in the pink armor – Sugarboy – nodded his head, before, to his surprise, he jumped from the giant leviathan and land in front of the captain. "Take your men and tend to the townspeople, they don't need another fight erupting in the middle of the town."

"But sir-" The captain made to argue, pointing his sword at him. But Sugarboy only shook his head, waving him off as he did so.

"That was an order captain. The townspeople need help first and foremost, and we, as knights in his majesty's service, are expected to help his majesty's subjects before we go and kill ourselves." Sugarboy stared at the captain, before the tall man dropped his sword to his side and turned around. His tabard swishing as he did so.

"Tend to the wounded, try and see if any civilians were caught in the crossfire." At the man's words, he let out a sigh of relief. Dismissing the five hundred weapons he had in the air. Strangely enough, he felt more winded than outright exhausted at what he had done.

"Oh, that's a shame." He turned towards the man in the pink armor. "Knightwalker would have loved to see your arsenal. Aside from hunting, her other obsessions include weapons." It was then he was struck with just how ridiculous he looked. The man was blonde, his hair styled into a pompadour, and the man had some facial hair that only seemed to extenuate the cleft on his chin. He would have likened the man to an eighties thug.

The man's pink armor seemed to shine in the sun, and the man's white tabard flapped as he approached him. And though the man had no pants on, exposing his black underwear and thighs, the man at least had leg protection via armor. Still, what kind of knight wears pink armor?

The man stopped right in front of him, they of the same height, and though that didn't sound much, he was a tall man. Taller than most, but not outright freakishly tall. The only difference between him and Sugarboy were their builds. Whilst his body was more athletic, the man's looked like a smalltime bodybuilder. No freakish muscles, but still impressive looking none the less.

The man held out his hand. "Sugarboy, captain of his majesty Faust's 4th magical division." He introduced himself with a smile. He didn't return it, but he did take the man's hand. "Forgive captain Harrison's rudeness. He was only doing his job, but sometimes he overestimates himself and puts not only himself, but his legion in danger."

He nodded his head at the man's words. "It's fine." He let go of the man's armored hand. "Like you said, he was only doing his job. And a knight's job is to his people."

Sugarboy smiled at him. "It's refreshing to see someone that understands knight's duty."

He shrugged. "I've met a knight before. She taught me about knights and their chivalry." He explained. Sugarboy only inclined his head at his words.

Sugarboy then looked away. He noted that his eyes scanned the destruction and the fallen knights around him. For a few seconds, he looked around, and then after he was done, his eyes turned towards him. He noted that they had hardened somewhat, but was still cordial at least. "Did you do this?" He asked him.

He frowned, before he shook his head. "Not everything." He explained. "When I got here, all of the knights were knocked out by a man calling himself Gajeel." He noted that the man's eyes narrowed at the name, but didn't say anything about the matter as he continued to explain the situation.

"I overheard him saying he was going to destroy the crystal on the podium. I tried to stop him. And I almost succeeded, but in an act of desperation, he threw me for a loop as he destroyed a part of the crystal after I hit him with an arrow." He frowned at the memory. Just why had that red-haired woman appeared after Gajeel had destroyed part of the crystal? Were people trapped inside that thing?

"Did anything else happen?" Sugarboy asked. He weighed the options of telling Sugarboy about the red-haired woman, and not telling him. On one hand, the man seemed cordial enough. He had asked the captain to stand down and help the town before fighting, so that at least cemented the fact that he cared for people. On the other hand, he might know about the crystals and people inside them.

Finally, he decided that the former option was better. He wouldn't get anywhere hiding things from anyone. He had a bad poker face, and though Rin at least taught him how to keep a straight face, he wasn't much for lying and hiding things.

"After he destroyed a part of the crystal, a person appeared from it." He watched the man, trying to discern what the man was thinking. To his disappointment however, the man didn't react aside from the raising of an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" He commented. Looking him up and down. He had the feeling that he was being scrutinized himself. Sugarboy probably was trying to discern whether or not he was the one lying to him.

Finally, after a few more seconds of looking each other over, Sugarboy sighed. "I'm sorry that our problems had involved you…?" The man's voice trailed, and he suddenly remembered that he hadn't told the man his name yet.

"Emiya," He said hastily. "Emiya Shirou."

"Sir Emiya it is then." The man nodded his head in thanks. "I'm sorry our problems have involved you Sir Emiya, but I must ask you to come with me to the Royal City for debriefing of the situation with my colleagues."

He narrowed his eyes at the man, before he glanced back at the fallen knights and buildings behind him. "What about the town and the knights?" He asked, his eyes scanning the destruction that he had caused, as well as the destruction that man, Gajeel, had done before he even got there.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. "I truly appreciate your concern for the people Sir Emiya," Sugarboy said as he turned to him. The man gave him a small smile, and though it looked forced, there was a hint of compassion in them. "But right now, we need you to tell us what happened, so that we can prevent it from happening all over again."

Though the man's words were logical, correct even. He couldn't help but look around at the destruction around him. After a second of looking around however, Sugarboy released his hand from his shoulder. "If it means that much to you, I guess we can stay for an hour or two to help around here."

He looked at the man, surprised that he would delay what was probably more important than finding out what really happened. "Are you sure about that?" He asked, honestly disbelieving at what the man had said.

Sugarboy only smiled at him, and this time, it looked bemused. "Don't worry Sir Emiya," He said as he turned around, his tabard flapping in the wind as he did so. "Didn't I say that the king's subjects were much more important than a knight's life?"

No he didn't, but he did made mention of something similar to Captain Harrison.

Shrugging his shoulders at the strange pompadour'd man, he turned back towards the group of injured knights he had been tending to, hopefully, he would get done by the hour so that he could repay Sugarboy's kindness.

…

…

…

Wait, what kind of name was Sugarboy?

**XxX**

Turns out, it didn't even take thirty minutes before everything was settled to an acceptable status.

Though he had been exaggerating before, the 'legion' on knights that he had threatened weren't over the thousands, but was more in the two hundred range. But that didn't slow down their willingness to help the town with the cleanup.

At the first ten minutes, the knights that had arrived as reinforcements had most of the injured knights taken and being catered to, leaving only the repairs to be done. And surprisingly enough, the knights had also taken it as their mission to help with the repairs.

He was joined with fixing a nearby house by three other knights at the twentieth minute mark, and they had finished in just five minutes. Granted, the house wasn't totally destroyed and was made of stone blocks, but it was still amazing time. A part of the wall had been destroyed, and all it really took was four men to put up blocks to cover it, and then the knights had pulled out what looked like a pill container for medicine. Only instead of pills coming out, cement instead flew out like a slow river. The cement had then moved to cover all the nooks and crannies that they couldn't seal with just stone blocks, before another knight pulled out his sword. And ignited it.

Almost immediately after that happened, he had another sword in his World that he could use, and the hole was gone, fixed and tended to by four men in the span of five minutes.

"Thanks for the help." A knight stepped forward and held out his hand for a handshake. He took it with a small smile. "This would have taken longer if you had left with Captain Sugarboy, and I can't even imagine what would have happened if you weren't here in the first place."

He shrugged his shoulder. "I just heard the townspeople shouting for help and made my way towards them." He said nonchalantly as he looked over the area, only to see that groups of knights were already fixing up their own projects. "I just did what anyone would do."

"Anyone he says, heh." He turned towards the owner of the voice, another knight that had helped him with the house. The man had discarded his helmet and chest-plate, unlike the first one that spoke to him, who had only discarded his helmet. The man had short dark hair that was cut military style, and his face was clear cut and without any kind of facial hair at all. His nose was slightly pointed, and his eyes were a deep brown. The man was also quite scrawny to look at, but he could tell that he was at least agile. It was then that he realized the man's armor was different from the others; the man's leg-plates looked thinner, and looked much more light than the other two that had thick armor that looked almost inflexible. "If anyone heard the sounds of screaming people, I reckon they'd run away as well."

He shrugged his shoulders at the man. "Maybe." Was all he said before he scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh. "I guess I'm not just anybody."

"I'll say," A female voice sounded, and he turned towards the last of the trio of knights that had approached him. He had heard her grunting as they worked, so he wasn't at all surprised to hear a female voice. He didn't need to guess that the face behind that visored helmet was that of a woman's. "Any normal man would just ignore the shouts and be on his way, glad to see that chivalry isn't dead."

"Hey!" The man without the chest-plate and helmet sputtered indignantly. He turned towards the woman in the armor and glared at her. "We happen to be knights as well. Of course chivalry isn't dead."

The woman snorted before she took raised her hands to her head and pulled the visored helmet off her head. He was treated with the sight of a blonde haired woman with short hair that looked like a man's haircut. Her facial features were dainty, but her eyes held steel in them. "Yeah right, you two bozos don't have the faintest clue as to what chivalry really is."

"Now you two," The first knight he spoke to chided. "No need to start fighting again. I understand if you're both sexually frustr-" The man couldn't even finish his sentence as both the man and woman smashed their armored fists at the man's skull. Eliciting a cry of pain from the man, and a wince from him.

"Shut up! Who's sexually frustrated?!" Both the man and woman exclaimed as they glared at the man they had just met. Said man was now crouched on the ground, clutching his head as he seemed to try and stop the ringing in his ears and the shaking of the world.

"Owowowow!" The man muttered before he suddenly stood and glared at both his partners. "What gave you the idea that hitting me with your armored hands was good?!" He shouted.

He wasn't surprised to find that they had now begun fighting amongst each other, muttering curses and hurling insults at one another. Though from the sound of it, they seemed to do this quite often.

"They would be Edward, Ellen, and Nero." He turned towards the new voice, and found that it was Sugarboy who had said that. "Again, I must ask you to forgive my knights as they seem to make it a habit to look bad in front of others."

He shook his head. "It's fine." He dismissed as he turned towards the trio again. They were so caught up in their fight that they probably didn't notice their superior right next to him. "It gives them some personality actually. At least they aren't stoic." He laughed at his little joke. Saber was a good friend, mentor, and for a brief time, lover. But she was so stoic that it wasn't funny.

"Yes," Sugarboy seemed to agree to his sentiment. "Well, these knights are in the upper echelons. Far be it they be stoic since they are the ones that interact with the people."

He raised an eyebrow at Sugarboy's words. Upper echelons? Seeming to sense his confusion, Sugarboy shook his head with a small smile. "They are his majesty's personal task force in regards to homegrown threats. They also respond to the people that seek justice when they are oppressed." He explained.

"Ah." He managed to respond. "So a police force?" He asked, though it was a mere formality more than anything.

Sugarboy gave him a smile before he nodded. "That, and also construction workers." He said with a small smile.

He looked back towards the trio that were still fighting, and then over their shoulders. He saw the team of knights that had come to apprehend him (correction, they wanted his magical weapons), and watched as they all worked together to tend to the wounded knights and fix the broken buildings. In the pace they were going in, he wondered if he was really needed there in the first place.

"I take it you see just how quick they are." Sugarboy began. He turned to regard him again. "They need no help in regards to this damage, but I do understand that you feel obligated to fix what you have done, but I can assure you right now, none of us hold you responsible."

He couldn't help it, he snorted. An act that was caught by the knight captain who gave him a raised eyebrow in question. "Somehow I doubt that." He responded dryly, something he usually didn't do, but Sugarboy's words just couldn't be believed.

"And what makes you say that Sir Emiya?" Sugarboy asked, but before he could respond, he continued. "That you fought against someone that would destroy the lacrima? The fuel source of this little town? That you fought someone that would harm our knights? That you, in doing both those things, caused just as much destruction as the one that started it all in the first place? That you let go of the lacrima in the end even after all that fighting?"

Sugarboy gave him an amused smile, seemingly thinking he had been right and he would rebuke him. But he didn't rebuke what he had said, in fact, he agreed with it. "Exactly." He responded, and the look on the knight captain's face could be described as flabbergasted.

"I gained nothing in this fight except destruction." He explained. He looked over the knights that were fixing the houses that he had in destroying at least partially. "And caused nothing but trouble. I couldn't even save the crystal from getting destroyed, much less capturing the man himself." He was actually surprised he was saying all these things. Normally, he would have kept it in his head, snarking himself when he thought he did something entirely stupid. But for some reason, he couldn't just let it stay inside his head this time.

He heard chuckling coming from his side, and turned towards Sugarboy, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain what amounted to laughter. He scowled at the man, but was placated by Sugarboy raising a hand as he tried to compose himself. "Sorry, sorry." He amended before he straightened himself. "But what you said is funny. Not because it is amusing, but because it is entirely false."

He raised an eyebrow at the man's words. Sugarboy shook his head before he explained. "You say you gained nothing but destruction, but what would have happened if you weren't here in the first place?" The man asked him, and he quietly contemplated his words. But before he could go any deeper, Sugarboy continued.

"It was obvious that this man was of immense strength, as attributed to him casually cleaning up the knights that were stationed in this little town." Sugarboy explained. "It is also evident with the destruction that this man cared not for collateral and would just as much hurt civilians with his destruction if he hadn't been stopped." He nodded this time, Sugarboy had a point, but he couldn't exactly see it yet.

"What you did, when you did it, it was a godsend." Sugarboy said, surprising him at the sincerity in his tone. "Had you not have been here, I fear that his focus would just not be on the lacrima, but also on the people and places around him. Without you, he would have gone on a rampage that could have leveled the entire town." He explained, and he nodded in response to the man's words. "You helped focus all that destruction as he fought you, and though you did let him walk away with what amounts as this town's fuel source," He flinched at those words, but Sugarboy didn't seem to extrapolate on that fact, as he just moved on. "You also injured the man, possibly causing a rift in his plans and what he had planned to do." Sugarboy explained as he put a hand on his shoulder in camaraderie.

"Add to the fact that you are probably the only person that managed to stay conscious long enough to gather information about the man himself, then we can add information to the number of things you possibly helped us with." Sugarboy said, squeezing his shoulder as he did so. "So no Sir Emiya. If you think anyone would blame you, then I'm sorry to say, you are wrong."

He felt the slight weight of his failure to the town lift somewhat, but there was still doubt. Though the man seemed genuinely thankful for what he had done, there was a certain feeling he got that he was hiding something from him. Something that the man couldn't quite say to him, but was an important piece of information nonetheless.

And don't worry about Sir Harrison." Sugarboy let go of his shoulder. He turned towards him, and was met with the man's smiling face. "He's always looking for something to extol his own self. Fighting random strangers being one of those things." He let out a small smile at the explanation.

"Anyway, Sir Emiya." Sugarboy began, and he straightened himself at the sudden change in atmosphere. "I ask you to accompany me back to the his majesty's castle. The information you have about the man that had taken the lacrima and the woman that had escaped from the lacrima will be important to prevent anything else like this from happening again." He narrowed his eyes, but otherwise, nodded his head in understanding.

He didn't think he mentioned it, but just to be safe… "Who do you think the woman was?" He asked, both parts suspicious, and curious.

Sugarboy shrugged. "Nothing except that she looks like Knightwalker. Aside from that, her abilities are unknown." Sugarboy explained before he turned around. "Now come Sir Emiya. Time marches on, and the sooner this information is relayed, the sooner we can form a course of action."

He weighed his options. On one hand, he could probably take on the majority of the knights around him, and because he had the element of surprise, he could also probably escape or clear them out. On the other hand, this man, Sugarboy, the man that had his back turned to him was a knight captain. He could stab him in the back right now, but that left a bad taste in his mouth just thinking about it. He could go with him of course, but now he knew better than to trust the man.

After all, he was here while the fighting occurred and hadn't done anything to help in the slightest.

In the end however, he decided that going with the man was better than going against him. He would give him the benefit of the doubt that he had merely been observing and didn't think it necessary to interfere. But there was also the fact that he going against him would also be going against the kingdom the man was aligned to, something that was equal parts hard, and suicidal.

So with steel in his body, and a heart that beats fire. He followed. Hopefully, this wouldn't be as complicated as he thought it would be.

It wasn't until later did he realize how convoluted this parallel world really was.

**XxX**

**Woot! Two updates at the same time. But first, gotta proofread.**

**This is the first official chapter. The fight scene was short, I know, but there really was no use dragging it on since Shirou understood that he couldn't harm Gajeel with conventional moves and weapons. Thus, he found a loophole. A bow that made the arrow pierce anything it hit, and a sword/arrow that never pierced metal. They counteracted each other, and they would cancel each other out. But the laws of physics say you cannot just destroy energy. And the kinetic energy that was in the arrow/sword would be transferred to the air in front of Gajeel's chest, thus, the air would act as a hammer… a hammer with the force of nth number of bullets that could pierce anything. Thus the blunt trauma that happened.**

**Also, I'm surprised at the number of people that had faved, and followed this story with just the prologue. It's surprising to me, but in a good way. I just hope I live up to the hype that I made.**

**Anyway, that's about it. Should I make a forum in regards to the fics that I have? Since a lot of you guys have questions/criticism/praises that I want to reply to, but simply don't have the time to. I want to interact with you guys, I really do, but well, I sometimes forget, or I simply don't have the time.**

**Anyway, that's it for this chapter.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	3. Meeting the King and his Knights

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Meh.**

**XxX**

The first word that came into his mind when they approached the royal capital that housed the castle where Sugarboy was leading him to was: Opulent.

There was no other word to describe the grandiose city teeming with people that hurriedly approached men that breathed fire, that created lightning from their wands, that produced flowers from their hats. The people in this grand city didn't look like they were having troubles at all; in fact, they looked positively rich in their clothes and their demeanor. Heck, he could make out an amusement park when they had first approached the city, and that was when it was just past the horizon.

As they had passed over the city however, he quickly found out why the people were so easy going in regards to magic. It had been something he was over thinking, why exactly was the sky green? So he looked up, to look over the green sky once more, but the sight that greeted him wasn't a green sky at all, what greeted him was the sight of a giant floating island with an even bigger crystal that jutted to the sides of the floating island. The spire like crystal was quite a sight to see, as it obstructed what would be most of the western sky (if by chance the sun still set in the west in this strange world).

But his viewing of the crystal was cut short, as Sugarboy maneuvered the giant flying leviathan over towards a stable… full of other giant floating leviathans. He vaguely remembered Sugarboy telling him the name of these giant creatures, but he honestly couldn't remember. Not because he didn't want to, but because giant flying leviathans just sounded much more appropriate for these giant monstrosities. Honestly, this thing was as big as a regular dragon in his own world. Except… yeah, that wasn't exactly the best comparison, these flying leviathans were almost docile in nature. The dragons in his world, well, they broke rules. Not conventional man-made rules, but the rules of nature.

After they had dropped from the flying leviathan, Sugarboy led him towards the castle, which was conveniently connected to the stables where the leviathans were housed in via a portal. A _portal_.

The sheer absurdity of it made him stop and stare at the thing that for all intents and purposes, should be impossible. Teleportation was in the realm of real magic, magic that could not be replicated by thaumaturgy. Yet here was proof that it was real, that it was possible.

Sugarboy had gone ahead of him, and probably found that he hadn't followed. This led to him peeking his head back inside the portal, leading to him seeing only Sugarboy's head, leading to him asking how exactly this thing worked in the first place. Rin would flip for any hint on how to do something like this. And truth be told, even if he couldn't quite understand what the explanation was going to be, he still wanted to know more about it. It's not every day you get to go through a portal that bent space after all. Add to the fact that it wasn't every day you get information about said portal in the first place.

After a somewhat lengthy lesson on how portals worked – he had found that the portals were all connected to another power source, not exactly a crystal, but something that helped bend the space around the path that would connect the portals to each other. It all went over his head – Sugarboy led him to a waiting room, instructing him to 'make himself comfortable' while he arranges for a meeting between the knight captains that were his peers. He assented to his request, and as Sugarboy left him to his own devices, he stood up and began looking around the opulent room.

The room where he was instructed to wait in was quite spacious for a waiting room. It was bigger than his dojo back home in Fuyuki city. Bazett would have a field day in this kind of spacious room if he decided to increase the space of his dojo to this size.

Paintings adorned the walls of the room, paintings of landscapes that he agreed were quite beautiful, but didn't make sense in this world. The paintings depicted pictures of luscious forests with blue skies with the sun shining down on the forest. And that was only some of the paintings; there were also paintings of beaches with white sand and a crystal clear ocean. All in all, these paintings did not at all match the images that he attributed to this world. There were no bright blue skies, there were no beaches as everything was hinged in the air, gravity seemingly refusing to pull it down to the earth, and he didn't even want to get started on the plants he saw. They looked regular, like those in his world, his dimension. Yet, the plants he had encountered so far, though not dangerous, were outrageous in their imagery. Something that did not match the paintings at all.

Before he could fully digest the information however, a knock came from the door. He turned towards it, and quietly muttered a 'Come in!' to indicate that it was indeed okay to come in.

He was expecting Sugarboy, but instead, was met with someone that was definitely not Sugarboy.

"Hi sir!" The girl exclaimed excitedly as she pushed open the door and ran into the room. The girl stopped just shy from him, and raised a hand in salute. Something that made him raise an eyebrow in question. "Captain Sugarboy sent me to cater to your needs! Is there anything I can get for you?"

He quietly regarded the girl with a raised eyebrow. She was wearing something akin to a jester's outfit. Complete with two bells attached to floppy 'horns' on her dark blue hat. The girl's light yellow suit added to the image that she was more a jester than an aide, but he didn't mention it as it would have sounded rude, especially to someone that seemed to like her job. He was of course, guessing, but with the bright smile she was wearing, he couldn't really think of any other reason other than she really did enjoy her job.

He shook his head at her. "I'm fine, No need to 'cater' to me." He emphasized that word. He didn't like that word. He especially didn't like being catered to. He knew his weaknesses, and he knew his strengths, he didn't need people catering either one.

But then again, what he was thinking, and what the girl was saying were probably two different things in context. But ah well, he still disliked the word.

The girl seemed to deflate at his answer. Shaking her head side to side, her bells jingling as she did so. "But Captain Sugarboy told me to make you comfortable!" She pleaded, and he couldn't help but smile. She was trying to help, and for once, he was on the other end of the spectrum. Now he could say he empathized with the people that were exasperated with his helping instead of sympathizing with them. But still, he really was comfortable as is. But maybe…

"Maybe some water? I'm sort of thirs-" He could't even finish his sentence before the girl was out the door, and a second later, she was carrying a glass of water with ice in it. The moisture around the glass indicated that it was indeed cold and would indeed be refreshing. But still, he couldn't quite wrap his head around the absurdity of what just happened. The girl had literally exited the room for a split-second, before she returned another split-second later with a glass of ice cold water. He could also faintly make out dust trails… like those you saw in Saturday morning cartoons.

"Here you go!" The girl chirped with a big smile on her face. He inclined his head slightly, still bewildered at the speed at what the girl had just done. He reached out for the glass of water, before he raised it to his lips. "I'm Coco by the way!"

He let the liquid roll by his tongue as he drank. Letting his thirst get quenched as he drank the cool water. "Thanks." He said as he finished the glass, before he handed it to the girl, an act that the girl happily responded to.

"Don't worry about it!" She smiled brightly. "Captain Sugarboy says you should be comfortable, and he's trusted by his majesty! So that means you can be trusted!"

He was… amazed at how trusting and innocent the girl was. And in a way, she reminded her of him when he had fought that foul War. Though, this girl had the excuse of actually _being_ naïve due to age, something that wasn't shared between them.

"Where did you get these paintings?" He asked, trying to clear his head of the War he had fought. The girl – Coco – shifted her head to look at the paintings that hung around the room.

"I really don't know." The girl answered a thoughtful look on her face. "But I do know that there are other paintings like that in the other guestrooms!" She chirped again, her smile broadening as she did so.

Huh, so there were more paintings like these around the castle? Maybe… "Can I see them?"

The girl saluted. "Of course!" She made to run out the room, but he stopped her. He was actually anticipating her running off again, so he had readied himself to grab her shoulder to stop her from doing so.

"I mean, right where they are?" This was a big request, he was a guest in this castle after all. A guest that could potentially stab them all in the back, a guest they knew absolutely nothing about, a guest tha-

"Sure!" His thought process halted. Did she just agree to him roaming around the castle? Wasn't she the least bit suspicious that she was going to have someone new, someone she barely knew and possibly trusted around the castle which he could possibly level?

"Of course, I have to be with you." Hmm, maybe he had spent too much time with Rin in the Clock Tower, or maybe Bazett has rubbed off on him too much. But he sort of guessed that a guy, that could fight equally with someone made of steel, a guy that had destroyed parts of a town in a fight, a guy that has an entire _World_ of weapons to fall back on, maybe that guy shouldn't be allowed to walk around a castle with a girl as an escort. "Who else will be your tour guide?"

Scratch that. Maybe he was just around Rin and Bazett too much. Caren was rubbing off on him as well. This girl was trusting, maybe overtly so, but he couldn't in good conscience betray that trust.

He smiled fondly at the chipper girl, before he inclined his head. "Lead the way." He pointed to the door.

Coco was only glad to do so.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

Okay. He knew for a fact that this was impossible.

"And that's the 'Eyebrow-less lady'," No. This was the Mona Lisa. A priceless piece of art that Leonardo Da Vinci himself painted during the renaissance. A painting that he got a glimpse of with Rin when they went to the Louvre in Paris. A painting that should still be in said place. "His majesty didn't like this painting so much, so he put it in this corner, as this room is rarely used and no one would look by the bookcase."

Indeed. The priceless artwork was indeed by a bookcase, offset by a corner on one side. The entire painting was out of the way, out of sight even. The bookcase looked wholly better than the painting itself, since unlike the priceless piece of art, the bookcase looked well maintained, dusted clean of anything that would mar it's wooden surface.

Of course, he could be wrong and this painting was nothing more than an imitation. But he knew a thing or two about imitations. He knew a thing or two about imitations.

So he Grasped, and what he did understand was that, yes. This painting was 100% real. Of course, it wouldn't be in his World, but the thought of a priceless painting haphazardly stuck in a corner where no one would see it unless they actively sought it… well, if he knew about this before, maybe he and Rin could have saved time and energy when they went to the Louvre. This place was so much less crowded. And he had to wonder if the painting in the Louvre was actually real or not. He couldn't quite Grasp it at the time since so many people were flocking to see the thing.

He was interrupted from his thought process by the door. He turned towards it as he heard it slam open, the backside of the door swinging so hard and so fast that it hit the wall it was hinged to. The hit had been so hard, that when he turned back towards the painting, it was now on the floor. Dust particles flew in the air, presumably from the painting itself as it had been untouched for so long. He let out a sigh, if the curators of the Louvre could see this now…

"Coco?" Surprisingly, a gruff female voice was the one that came from the door. "What are you doing here?"

He turned towards the person that entered, and was immediately struck by realization as he recognized who she was.

"Wait, aren't you…" He stopped himself as he fully digested the image of the woman by the open door. She definitely looked like her, scarlet red-hair, same facial features, even the same commanding aura. The only difference being is the hair, which was tied in a high ponytail that had waves cascading down the sides of her head, as well as her clothes… or rather battle bikini. There was no other way to describe her armor actually. She was wearing black steel-plated armor, which did nothing to conceal most of her modesty.

Looks the same, sounds the same, but entirely different. Just what was going on here?

"Do you want something?" The woman leveled a glare at him. She leaned on one foot as she put one fist to her side like most angry women did if men were caught staring at them.

He coughed. "My mistake. You look like someone I knew." He was never a liar, Rin had pointed that out, while Caren made due with her teasing. But what he said was the truth. Something he had no qualms telling the red-haired woman in a battle bikini… alright, that just sounded wrong.

Before he could contemplate on the word battle bikini longer though, the red-haired woman turned away from him and entered the room. "I didn't expect anyone to be in this room." The woman said gruffly before she slammed the door shut and then proceeded towards the sofa, where she plopped herself down and raised one foot to the handle to hand it on.

He felt blood rush to his face as he saw the compromising position the woman had taken, and averted his eyes. Honestly, what kind of woman wearing revealing armor would sit down in that way!

"Captain Knightwalker! I didn't expect you to get back here so early!" He perked at the name Coco had called the woman. He had heard that name before, from Sugarboy when he caught his little slip. Gathering whatever courage he could, he turned back towards the woman, only to see her smirking at him. She then proceeded to spread her legs even more, allowing him to see _much_ more of what was underneath her armor.

But he didn't look away, even if it was the gentlemanly thing to do. He could still see it in his peripheral vision, but he didn't focus on it. Instead, he focused onto the woman's features. He put a mental image of the woman he saw before, and compared this woman with her. Indeed, they did look the same, but judging from the way this woman sounded and acted, the personalities are much more different.

"Enjoying the show?" He was snapped out of his thoughts as the woman he was staring at gave him a flirtatious – and dangerous – smirk. He looked away right then and there, refusing to answer the question, or turn back to the woman.

"Oh don't by shy," The woman – Knightwalker – teased him, her voice sultry. "I wouldn't be wearing this armor if I didn't want anyone to look." Her voice was sultry, flirty even. But he knew it was a trap. He had caught a glimpse of her eyes, and he could immediately tell this was a woman that you didn't screw around with unless you knew her intimately. She wasn't above killing, and she wasn't above showing off as her clothes accentuated that fact.

"Oh!" The third occupant of the room made herself known again. He was thankful to her, any longer and he would have just left the room out of principle. "Captain Knightwalker, this is the esteemed guest of Sugarboy, Emiya Shirou!" Coco introduced him, and though he didn't really want to turn back to the woman, courtesy told him to do so.

He turned towards the woman, locking eyes with her as he didn't want his sight wondering. He inclined his head in a slight bow as he spoke, "Emiya Shirou." He introduced himself.

The woman regarded him with a critical eye; she fixed her position on the couch, taking her leg away from the handle before she sat up. She returned his staring with her own, and they locked eyes with neither saying a word. Finally, after a few tense seconds, she blinked.

"Erza Knightwalker," She introduced herself with a small smile. "It's a pleasure to have you with us Emiya."

He could tell there was some… hidden meaning behind her words. But he didn't let it get to him much. He frowned as he finally registered what she had called him. Though he liked his family name, he didn't like the familiar tone she used.

"So tell me," Erza spoke, leaning backwards into the sofa as she stared at him. "What brings you here Emiya?"

Alright, once was okay. But twice was asking too much. It wasn't that he disliked his family name, but he at least wanted her to sound respectful when she said his name. "At least call me Shirou." He spoke, making the red-haired woman's eyes widen in surprise at the tone he used. "And I was asked to tell Captain Sugarboy's peers about what I had encountered in a town."

"Don't like you're given name huh?" He raised an eyebrow in question as he stared at Erza. Who only gave him a smile that was half-amused, and half-understanding. "Don't worry, I don't too. Call me Knightwalker, and I'll call you Shirou, deal?"

Was he… was he missing something here? The way she sounded, and the way she spoke screamed familiarity. It was like she was being overtly friendly while being overtly ru- Oh.

"Err, I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding." He coughed, trying to remove the embarrassment he felt with this blunder. Erza – Knightwalker – raised an eyebrow in question to him, while Coco just tilted her head to the side confusedly.

"My first name is Shirou, while my family name is Emiya." It was at this point he realized that this world operated under the western 'First name, last name' basis instead of the eastern 'Last name, first name' basis. He had been offended because he had mistakenly assumed that Knightwalker was being sarcastic to him. Which she probably wasn't doing at all and was genuinely talking to him out of respect. He had also made the assumption that Knightwalker was her first name, while Erza was her family name. Hey, he had heard Gajeel call that other red-hair Erza, and she looked a lot like Knightwalker. Add to the fact that his first real conversation had been with someone called Sugarboy… well, you get the idea.

Knightwalker, instead of growing confused or even angry at his mistake. Instead laughed uproariously. "That's a strange way of introducing yourself! You must be all kinds of weird to think that your _last_ name came first before your first one!"

He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Err, yeah." It was then it hit him.

They spoke in English, and they were having conversations in English. While it was true he knew how to speak English, he also had an accent. Something that couldn't disappear overnight. Yet here, he was having full conversations in English, something he would have found hard to do in his world, and he also had no accent.

Whatever Zelretch did, it must have been good. This was just borderline absurd now.

"Coco, you're dismissed." Knightwalker spoke, surprising the young girl, as well as him. "I'll make sure our guest is entertained until Sugaryboy asks for him. Come and fetch him when that time comes."

"Uhm," Coco looked up at Knightwalker with unease, before she nodded her head. "If those are your orders." She spoke before she saluted. "Captain, Sir Em- err, Sir Shirou."

With that said, she ran out of the room at the same speed she had used to get the glass of water. With a similar dust trail kicking up as she did so.

"Honestly that girl," Knightwalker said with a small smile on her lips. "She has boundless energy."

"I'm used to it." That was… true to some extent. Though Illya wasn't _exactly_ like Coco in terms of boundless energy, she was still hyperactive to some extent.

"Then I envy you," Knightwalker spoke, a small smile that wasn't entirely directed at him appeared on her face. "I can't get used to that." She said before she leaned back into the sofa and tapped the side of it. "Come sit, relax a little."

He shrugged, before he accepted her offer and took a seat next to her on the couch. He then turned towards her, and found that she was staring at him with a smirk on her lips.

He grimaced. "Err," He began, absently picking at his face. He could feel his ears burning, but hopefully, his face wouldn't start burning as well. Hey, she was a beautiful woman, and only the most noble of men wouldn't feel embarrassed with her staring. "Is there something on my face?" He asked lamely.

Knightwalker only smirked wider, before she leaned back onto the handle next to her, her eyes scanning his own. "Nothing really, just wondering what you can do in a fight."

He tensed a little, something that Knightwalker noted with a small smile on her face. "What makes you think I can fight?" He asked, his voice steady.

Knightwalker only shook her head. "You should try harder if you're trying to hide yourself." She chided him lightly before she pointed a finger at his hands. He raised them, and stared at them in confusion before he looked at Knightwalker for clarification.

"Calluses." She spoke up again. "I can see them from here; you've obviously wielded your fair share of weapons before. And the way you tensed when I asked how you do in a fight spoke volumes of your experience." She said with another smirk. "Tell me, was it fun fighting against people that actually _enjoyed_ fighting?"

He let out a sigh. She was sharp, he'd give her that. "Not really." Deciding that there was no hiding it, he could at least answer her question. "If you don't knock them out, or outright kill them, they just keep getting back up, asking you to keep fighting. Even after you cripple them." He grimaced a little at that thought. He wasn't squeamish to fighting, but some of his opponents that actively sought out a good fight were really annoying to deal with.

Knightwalker nodded her head, seemingly satisfied with his answer, though she did catch his grimace at the tail end of his explanation. "You don't like killing?"

He didn't know how to interpret her question, so he chose to not to. Instead, he answered her question. "I won't hesitate if it's needed. But mostly, I prefer if I don't have to. They're still people."

"Well, what if they were killing other people?" Knightwalker asked, straightening herself. Before he could answer though, she spoke up again. "What if they were killing other people, but not directly? They were killing people by just being alive, by taking things that they think they deserve, but don't. Would you kill them then?"

He frowned at her question. He looked at her, and was only met with an impassive stare that he could only describe as someone seizing him up. He thought for a second, before he finally answered. "I would hold no qualms about killing them." He answered. "If they couldn't stop from taking those important things, but not because they take things that don't belong to them, I do that sometimes. But I would kill them simply because they are killing other people due to their actions. If they cannot be made to see reason, to stop whatever it is they're doing, I would kill them. Or at least, knock them out and take whatever they took back to the people that need those things."

For a second, Knightwalker didn't say anything. Then, she broke out in open laughter. He frowned at her, but his frown turned into a surprised look as she suddenly scooted closer to him and leaned forward into his face. A smile on her face. "I like that answer." She said. He felt his face burn, but didn't dare move. "Something tells me that we'll get along just fine."

At that, she straightened herself, giving him much needed breathing room. "Come meet me later, after whatever meeting Sugarboy has planned is over. I want you to come meet some prisoners that have been doing exactly what I had spoken of."

He frowned, weighing whether or not he should take her up on that offer. Shrugging, he nodded. She was technically asking for help… though she didn't voice it out. And he would gladly help if it meant saving people. Whether this be lives, or trouble.

A knock came from the door, and they both turned towards it. They found Coco standing by the doorframe, saluting as she addressed both of them in an exaggerated manner. "The meeting shall be taking place soon! Captain Sugarboy has requested Captain Knightwalker's presence during the meeting! It shall be held in his majesty's throne room!"

He frowned; he was going to meet the king already? Whatever this problem was, it must be bigger than he first thought. If they allowed a total stranger inside a king's room… well, he would find out in awhile.

"Okay Coco," Knightwalker stood. "I'll escort Sir Shirou to the throne room. You may call the other members of the royal guard and fetch them." Coco nodded her head, before she was off again. He shook his head. That girl needed to slow down.

"Come Sir Shirou," Knightwalker spoke, walking past him. "I shall escort you to her majesty's throne room." She exited the room, but stopped just outside of the door and stared at him with an expectant smile on her lips.

Shrugging, he stood and followed suit. His eyes glancing at the priceless painting still on the floor by the corner of the room as he exited. He let out a sigh, which Knightwalker noticed immediately.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, and he only shook his head.

"Nothing." He dismissed before they started walking. "Just disappointed in the décor of the place."

Knightwalker nodded her head with a smile, seemingly agreeing with him. "I agree, the paintings are rather bland. Especially that 'Eyebrow-less lady'."

He let out another sigh as he shook his head. Just one of those subtle differences between his world and theirs.

**XxX**

He swallowed a lump in his throat as he stared at the large double doors that probably led to the throne room. He wasn't nervous because he was about to meet a king, he was nervous, because behind that door probably had some of the best men and women that could possibly defend the king. He knew he was strong, but he didn't know if he could hold out against a team of elite guards. Especially if said guards had backup in the form of the Knight Captains that were probably in the room waiting for him as well.

Or maybe it was the other way around? Either way, he needed to make sure he came off as someone that was sensible and wouldn't be prone in attacking their king.

He heard uproarious laughter sound from beside him. He turned to Knightwalker and stared at her blankly. Why was she laughing?

The answer came as a sharp slap to his back, sending him lurching forward slightly due to the jarring strength behind said slap. "Are you nervous?" She asked, honestly sounding amused at his nervousness.

He grimaced, before he straightened himself. "Of course I am." He admitted. The smile was still on Knightwalker's face as he turned towards her. "I'm about to meet a king when I'm a complete stranger. What do you think will happen if I so much as look at him wrong?"

Again, Knightwalker laughed. "Then don't look at him wrong." She said, making him sigh at such a simple answer.

"And besides," She continued. "The king trusts his Knight Captains' judgment. If Sugarboy vouched for you, than you really shouldn't worry about anything."

He gave Knightwalker a small smile. "I take it the Knights themselves work the same way?"

Again, Knightwalker laughed. But instead of being mirth filled or genuinely amused, her laughter sounded sharp, almost mocking. "I'd take Sugarboy's word as much I would a grain of salt."

He raised an eyebrow at her, surprised she would admit that she didn't trust her fellow captain. Before he could ask her why however, she explained.

"The Knights here want nothing more than to get on his majesty's good side. They'd gladly spread rumors, false information, or even send the other Knights to their deaths if it meant they get smiled at by his majesty." Knightwalker paused, a frown on her face as she thought. "The only two people that I trust are Lili and…" She paused for a second, before she shook her head.

"Never mind. Let's go." Knightwalker said quickly as she moved past him and towards the door. He watched her for a second, before he shrugged and followed suit.

He looked up at Knightwalker as she stared at the large doors. He wondered if these doors were portals as well, and when they opened, they would reveal a swirling vortex of blue like all those portals he had been led through by Coco, and just recently, Knightwalker.

He was proven wrong however, when Knightwalker just placed one hand in the middle of both doors, and swiftly pushed it open. He squinted his eyes as he took in the throne room.

It was an anteroom with a red carpet that led from the door towards the single throne in the middle of the room. Behind the throne were giant stained glass windows depicting images that could only be described as epic.

On the left window were knights, all were clutching their swords as they bowed, their swords embedding themselves on the earth as they bowed their head in reverence to something. In the middle of the party of knights was one man with a crown, and though he knew that this was supposed to be the king, he was also bowing. What kind of king bows? Was his first thought.

The second stained glass window, on the right of the first two had stained glass of… cats with wings. As strange as that sounded, there really was no other way to describe what was on this stained glass window. There was a party of cats with wings, and they were all in the air, or on the ground, their heads bowed just like that knights and the king, but they didn't kneel. Their heads were only bowed.

The last stained glass window was perhaps the strangest one, and also the most innocuous one. As strange as that sounded, he had an inkling of a feeling that the glasses were arranged like that on purpose. In the middle window was a single white outline. The outline vaguely resembled the cats, as the body was small and it had wings. But the difference between those cats and this one was that , there was only one cat. And the cat had its wings spread as it was higher than the rest of the parties that were depicted in the stained glass windows.

Strange windows aside, the room was Spartan. Aside from the long red rug, there was almost no decorations in the room, even though he expected opulence from a king.

The carpet was flanked by two lines of people, probably the Knight Captains judging from their attire and their almost casual looks in their eyes. He could tell they had been in this room for quite a number of times, and they were already itching to get out of it.

He took one last breath as he stepped forward. Following after Knightwalker as she approached the throne. As he passed by each Knight Captain, taking note of their looks and their faces, he took notice of their rather strange appearances.

The strangest ones were a man with a white jacket and ebony hair. It wasn't because the man looked flashy, but because the man had a certain… craziness in his eyes that reminded him of some Dead Apostles that he had ended with Bazett. Unsurprisingly, being undying and unaging caused you to lose your mind if you didn't have a stable enough personality and couldn't handle being solitary for ample amounts of time.

The next one that had caught his eye was Sugarboy… mostly because of his pink armor and his blonde pompadour, but it helped that he knew the man.

After Sugarboy was a… giant muscular man that looked like he could use a good shave. The man's armored form had hair sticking out from not just his chest area, but also in his gauntlets and leggings. Even the man's visored helmet had hair sticking out from it. Aside from that, the man's large sword that was strapped to his back had been Traced, and was now waiting in his World waiting to be called.

He couldn't look at the others however, as he and Knightwalker finally reached the front of the throne. He looked up at it, and found a rather lean man with a heavy red coat and an opulent crown on top of his head. The man's face was impassive as he stared down at them, and he found himself locking gazes with the man for a second, before Knightwalker caused them both to look away.

"Your majesty." Knightwalker placed one knee on the ground as she bowed. He shifted slightly in place. Should he bow? But he hadn't pledged allegiance to him. And he really didn't bow by kneeling… except with Rin… yeah, he should probably stop this train of thought before he shivered. It wouldn't do well to show weakness here of all places.

"Rise Erza." The king spoke. And Erza did so with grace befitting her beautiful image. The king's eyes shifted over towards him, and he regarded him with a critical eye. "I take it this is the one Sugarboy speaks of?"

Knightwalker nodded her head. "I found him in one of the rest rooms, and I had engaged in conversation with him." Erza spoke curtly. A deep contrast to her previous rowdy persona.

"And?" The king asked, the question was obvious to him, though he didn't choose to comment on how rude it was to ask how someone thought of anyone when the person they were talking about was right in front of them.

"I have found him rather engaging in conversation." That… that was neither a negative nor was that a positive. It was ambiguous, and if he had to guess, it was probably on purpose. All they had exchanged really was conversation, and though he had made his views on killing known, he would hardly call that a deep conversation.

"I see." The king said. Before he sighed and nodded. Knightwalker seemed to take that as a signal of sorts, before she turned around and made her way to the right side of the throne. He made to follow, but was stopped by the sudden voice of the king from behind him.

"Sir Emiya." He turned, and was met face to face with the king's cold stare. He didn't let his nervousness show, but he did straighten himself somewhat.

For a few seconds, the king didn't speak, only stared at him, almost sneering. Finally, he spoke; his voice was cold and detached. "Well? Get on with it."

The man's tone broke no room for argument, but that didn't stop him from frowning. He had dealt with people like him before, those in their high thrones, who believed that people below them didn't deserve their time. Most of the time, they were not nice people.

Before he could say anything however, a familiar voice sounded from behind him, from the rows of knights. He turned, and saw Sugarboy had taken a step forward and had his hands behind his back. "Your majesty." He began. "This is Sir Emiya, he has found and fought against a terrorist that has threatened to-"

"Yes, yes." The king's voice sounded from behind him. He scowled, but didn't let it show to the king directly. "We've established that, what I need is not a repeat of what Coco had told me, but of what this man, this…" The king paused, and he imagined the man was looking him up and down right about now. "This strangely dressed clown had seen first hand."

He frowned, why was he being called a clown? If anything, Sugarboy was the one that looked like a clown. Not that he was making fun of the man, but… yeah. This was actually the first time he had seen a knight dress as he did. Even the man with the white coat and black hair looked normal.

He guessed it was just a culture thing. He probably _did_ look like a clown to them, but still… it wasn't like a regular blue and white t-shirt with jeans was anything weird. Maybe it was his hair? No, Knightwalker had redder (He wondered if that was dye) hair than him.

And then it hit him. Firsthand?

He cast a quick look towards Sugarboy, who seemed to notice the look in his eyes. The man let out a soft sigh, before he turned away from him.

"I apologize Sir Emiya." He began. "But when you fought that man, I was there. I had watched the entire exchange, and I did not intervene." Sugarboy turned back towards him, locking eyes with him.

He frowned. The man was in a position to help him, was in a position to help the town, and yet he stood aside and watched. He should be angry with him, bristling even. But strangely enough, he wasn't. In fact, he felt almost resigned, like he had expected that answer.

He let out a sigh of his own. Days with Rin in the Clock Tower told him to expect the worst out of humanity, while talks with Bazett told him to expect the worst at everything. He had unconsciously taken those lessons to heart, and now wasn't at all surprised at being betrayed. Great, all he really needed was to have a cynical outlook in life, as well as letting his well thought out snarks out, then he would be Archer… And now he was calling it well thought out. Damn.

He scratched the back of his head. "I'm not really surprised." He spoke. "I've been told to expect the worst out of people, and this is by far tame compared to some of the things people have done to others." He said truthfully. That was another reason he wasn't surprised or even angry. This was tame, tame compared to Dead Apostles turning on each other to let themselves live, tamer than fighting to the death with the King of Heroes and a berserking Heracles. And much, _much_ tamer than killing yourself fighting against a corrupted priest.

He almost missed being slightly naïve, much less things to think of. Ah well, no regrets. This was the path he took, and he would tread it without looking back.

His statement seemed to strike a chord between the knights, causing them to erupt in hushed murmurs as they stared at him. It was the stern voice of Knightwalker that told them all to keep quiet.

"Cease your talking." She demanded before she turned towards him. "Sir Emiya, your story if you please. We do not wish to stay here for too long." She said, urging him to tell his story.

He sighed, before he nodded his head and told his tale.

**XxX**

He waited outside the throne room. Honestly, he wasn't at all surprised he was escorted outside of it the moment he finished telling his story. The people inside were most likely deliberating on what they should do.

He didn't tell them everything about him though, only the fight with Gajeel and what he happened to see. And it was obvious that when he told them the entire story, it was indeed the same story Sugarboy told them all probably a minute before. Probably the only person that hadn't heard everything was Knightwalker, as she had been with him when all the knights were already inside the throne room. Still, he was careful not to tell them what he could do, he told them of the bow that enchanted the arrow so it would pierce, and the sword that would not destroy metal, and then his summoning of magical weapons. But that was it, he didn't tell them how he could do those things, why he could do those things, or even show them he could do it. What was important was the story, and what he did.

He let out a sigh, personally he didn't particularly care what they choose to do to him. Aside from outright executing him, they probably had nothing in their arsenal to actually kill him. He wasn't being boastful, but he could admit to himself since it was true. He was the word device personified. His World, which was an amalgamation of Archer's world, as well as Gilgamesh's Gate, was a place filled with weapons that could counter everything. Of course, he couldn't just pick out a sword from the vastness of his World, but if he thought hard enough, what he imagined would spark something in his memories, and he could pull out a weapon that did that particular thing. Off the top of his head, he could pick out four swords, seven spears, and five hammers that could level this entire castle. Not in one blow in particular mind you, but still, these weapons meant serious business. And although he had ridiculously overpowered weapons in his World, it wasn't like he would use them. Tracing a Noble Phantasm and activating it were two different things. Of course, by their very nature, Noble Phantasms were passively activated. Weapons like Gae Bolg, which was so powerful you could literally feel the waves of bloodlust rolling off it even without invoking its active effects. He personally told himself, he was overpowered, but if he was overpowered, than most of his enemies were _ridiculously _overpowered.

Case in point, Gilgamesh. That man… that fight had been the hardest he had ever experienced. And he had even invoked his World to fight on even terms with him, and he was close to losing to him. If it wasn't for the blonde king's overly inflated ego, than he'd be nothing more than a splat on the ground, probably eviscerated a thousand-times over because of Ea.

He shuddered at the memory of that particular sword. Even the memory made his World grind against itself, and his body queasy. Why couldn't it be the same as Excalibur? He couldn't replicate that sword fully, but still, at least it wasn't so _wrong_ that it made him sick just from thinking about it.

Well, not that he could complain, if he had a sword that could split the heaves and the earth from each other, he probably wouldn't use it… ever.

Long story short, he should probably treat them as he would people that could kill him. He wasn't going to level an entire keep just to keep himself alive, nor was he going to kill anyone in case they were all ready to kill him in turn. Gajeel had proved to be a rather difficult opponent with his steel body, and who was to say that the other people in this world wouldn't be like that as well? He was strong, yes. But he didn't delude himself into thinking he was the strongest.

As he mused on his thoughts however, the door swinging open made him look up. He stood and nodded at the approaching Knightwalker, who had a rather smug smirk on her face.

"So," She began. "Weapons?" She said with a hint of amusement and curiosity in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question at her words, before Knightwalker shook her head.

"I would like to see your collection later, but first, enter so that the king may tell you on what he has decided." Knightwalker's voice brooked no room for argument. He raised an eyebrow at her words, she was practically saying that the king's decision was the one that was followed, but then, why the council?

He pushed the thought aside, and reentered the throne room, Knightwalker right behind him. The eyes of the entire contingent of Knight Captains stared at him. And as he passed each person he took note of, he saw that they all had one look in their eyes. That of apprehension.

From the man that had the white coat and the look of insanity, he looked suitably placated and was looking at him with an almost nervous outlook.

From the giant… hairy man. The man's entire body screamed he was ready to take action, from the subtle way his feet shifted forward, probably to give him a jumping start in case he did something no one had the speed able to match.

He almost scoffed at that. He was powerful, but he wasn't exactly the fastest character here… probably.

He turned his attention back to the king, who had a look of deep thought etched on his face as he stared at him. His hands locked underneath the man's chin, and his old eyes boring into his own.

As he stopped in front of the king, it took all his willpower not to look away and show weakness. The man's eyes, now that it was focused entirely onto him, showed weariness, showed an acute fear that he couldn't quite place, couldn't quite identify. "Sir Emiya,"

He wasn't surprised that his voice was stern, but also a bit apprehensive, he was scrutinizing him, looking at his body movements to determine what exactly he would do.

Finally, after a few seconds of silence, he spoke up again. "Your arrival here has been met with suspicion," He wasn't surprised. He was a wild card in all these things. He had no idea why that Erza had appeared from that crystal, and he had no idea what exactly was happening aside from the fact that Gajeel wanted to free those people.

"We do not know you, and thus, you probably do not know us, of this world." The way he worded that… did he know that he wasn't from this world? He was about to ask what he meant by that, but didn't get the chance as the king spoke up again.

"In this world, magic is our life force; it is the energy which keeps this kingdom running, which it keeps it from falling. Thus, it is not a surprise that we have used quite a large amount of it." The king explained, while he only listened with interest.

What he said was true, Prana, the system of magic he was familiar with, was evident in all things. From animals, to regular people. If one ran out of prana, then one would die. But the king's words were confusing, what exactly did he mean by using a large amount? Did they use it for other means aside from magic?

"Here, we use magic not just as a means to live. We use it for livelihood." Huh? "We use it to power street lamps that light the street at night, to make water flow cleanly through every house, to transport food and rations across cities." Ah, now he got it. Magic just wasn't what made them live, it was what they used to live. It was their power, their electricity.

Which was strange, hadn't they discovered electricity? Come to think of it, how could they discover electricity? They were over the clouds. Which was strange, since the air felt generally the same just above sea level in his world. Perhaps the people evolved over the clouds because the pressure below the clouds, heck, even the whether below the clouds, could be so dangerous that going over the clouds was the only way to go.

"But with this power, there comes people who would squander it, who would waste it for what it was." He gave the man another raised eyebrow. Did he just seriously say that after he saw that amusement park as well as those people openly using magic out in the streets?

"They steal and take magic and hold it for their own, never giving what the people need, what they desire." He frowned; of course there would be people like that. In whatever community you go to, there would always be people like that. But this man… wasn't he just as guilty?

"They think magic can be so freely given, so freely used." The king continued his tirade, and he kept his attention on him. "They never give back, they never share. They only keep what they have for themselves and their group. What they use the magic for, is for their own desires." The king let out a sigh. "Of course, I am guilty of the same."

Well, at least he wasn't going to tell him that he had no faults. He was significantly better than Gilgamesh now in his eyes.

"But what I do, what I use it for, is not for me. It is for the people." He explained before he gestured around the rather large room. "I look opulent, simply because I do not use magic for myself."

"I give what I can to the people, and I make sure they are happy. The castle, it is not designed like this for my comfort, but for my knights, my servants. The portals are there simply for their leisure and tasks." The king leveled with him, surprising, considering the fact that he was still sitting down and he was a step below him.

"The lights are there to protect my people, the water is there to provide for my people, and the supplies are transported for my people. What I have, I give, and I ask for nothing in return." The king said in a steady tone. "Yet people brazenly take what isn't theirs, and they squander it by playing with it in their guilds. They don't share, and they don't help the people. Which is why we hunt them." He raised an eyebrow.

"We hunt them, for their crimes are punishable by death. What they take and use for conjuring fire to warm their cold hands, could be used to cook for a family of five. What they take and use for conjuring a shower of water, could be used to water an entire plantation. We are running out of magic Sir Emiya. And it will only get worse as they continue to take." The king breathed in deeply, before he continued. "Though they take only from me, what they take from me, they take also from the people."

"Then why not stop the amusement park?" He had spoken before he thought. The action caused the king to straighten himself, his eyes narrowed in an emotion he couldn't discern. He let out his own sigh, before he pressed on. No sense in stopping here now that he had done that.

"Why not let the entertainers stop entertaining people," He continued, not at all bothered with the king's narrowed eyes. "Let the amusement park close; let the people find their own entertainment?" This was the question. If Magic was being squandered and was close to depletion, why not just stop using it so opulently? So brazenly?

Surprisingly, it wasn't the king that answered. "Why you ask?" He turned, and stared at the one who spoke. It was the man in the white coat with ebony hair. He had a smile that could only be described as hysterical. "Because it's fun."

For a moment, he didn't reply. He just stared at the man with raised eyebrows. How exactly did that answer his question?

"Perhaps, Sir Emiya." He turned his head towards Sugarboy. "We should tell you about the Exceed." Exceed? What was that?

Sensing his question, Knightwalker took a step forward. "The Exceed are flying beings that reside in Extalia. Over the clouds of our kingdom. They have wings of angels, and they have the innate ability to generate their own magic." Wait. Were they talking about the cats in the stained glass windows? They were called Exceeds? And what did the cats have to do with fun and the depleting magic?

"The Exceed are beings that rule over us, that rule over the people." He stared at Knightwalker, who had been the one explaining to him what Exceeds were. "They look down on us over the clouds, and demand our allegiance; they hold our lives in their hands, simply because they have the luxury of being able to use magic freely." Knightwalker looked up at him with steel in her eyes. "We fought a war with them before, with our magic weapons, with our leviathans. We lasted a week before we called for a truce."

He closed his eyes. There was a hint of anger, a hint of loathing in Knightwalker's tone. It seems that whatever these Exceeds did, they made sure that the humans would think twice before they tried that again. Suddenly, the usage of magic on amusement parks and street performers actually made sense.

"So you see," Sugarboy spoke up, and he swiveled his head towards him again. "We cannot hope to fight the Exceed. They vowed they wouldn't attack us, that they would never take the first strike against us. But the scars of war, they run deep in our kingdom." Sugarboy's eyes seemed to gloss over, as if he was remembering something. "Why live in fear, when we can live in blissful ignorance?"

He let out a deep breath. What they were saying weren't wrong, and though he personally would never do that, he could at least understand where they were coming from. It was the weak man's mantra, what they were doing. 'Live in ignorance, for the world will only terrify your small mind'.

"What they did," A deep baritone voice spoke. He looked up, and turned towards the hairy knight. "They made sure it was imprinted in our memories. We have stories about the Exceed, children's stories that parents tell at night to scare their children to sleeping and behaving well. We may bow to them, and we may always be weaker then them, but we do not wish to live in fear. To fear is to show weakness in the most despicable form. So we chose to make sure the people are smiling, for if the Exceed would reign fire upon us, if they would attack us and break the truce, we will remain happy with the memories we have in this ephemeral life."

He looked into the large knight's visored helm, and locked eyes with him. Like Knightwalker, there was pain in his eyes, pain and anger. But unlike Knightwalker, who was openly showing it and expressing it like her scarlet hair, this man had a cold fury behind his. Like that of a betrayed man that had personally seen it the betrayals happen in front of his eyes.

"So you see Sir Emiya," He turned around, facing the king once again. "We live in fear without these things. If our people fear, they get ideas in their heads. These ideas, coupled with the fear of the Exceed, could be a problem. For you see, we live quite high, and we have things that can… take one's life quite easily."

He bit his lower lip in frustration. Were people really scared of the Exceed that they would so readily take their lives if it meant they wouldn't have to suffer through them again? Were the people here so… weak?

"If you are thinking we are weak, then you are correct." He raised his head to stare at the king. "But do not mistake this weakness as idiocy. It is our weakness that makes us who we are." The king let out a sigh. "For when we don't have strength, we thrive in weakness."

"Then why not give the people the means to defend themselves?" He pushed the issue. There had to be some way to save the people from killing themselves. "Give them the magic needed to defend themselves, to protect their families."

The king however, just sighed. "Sir Emiya," He began, his voice resigned. "When the war was fought, we lasted a week before we prostrated ourselves for a truce. Our losses were past catastrophic proportions. My father, the previous king, had been the foolish enough to think we could actually take down the Exceed, or at least cripple them." The king stared at him, his face hard and his eyes downtrodden. "Instead, it was our kingdom that got crippled. It was our people that died. The number of people that had died, and the total destruction the war had wrought was beyond measure. Entire noble houses died, farmland was devastated, and the number of people sent to premature graves was astounding. I took the reins from my father then, planned a coup, and now, here I am in power, trying to prevent the past's horrors from surfacing." The king's eyes took on their tired look again. "All of this, and yet the Exceed never suffered damage."

The king paused, letting the information sink. Were those flying winged-cats really that powerful? He had faced beasts that could make a man quiver in his boots, like the berserking Heracles, or even the numerous curses that he was subjected to because of the Grail, but still. If flying-winged cats were the cause of so much fear in this world, he wondered what would happen if Rin were here… on second thought, that would have been a bad idea.

"Why tell me this?" He asked finally. This impromptu history lesson and the speech about magic getting depleted was interesting yes, but served no purpose because they hadn't said a word about what they wanted to do with him. "Why are you telling me all this?"

The king leveled with him again. "Because Sir Emiya," The king stared at him, his old eyes staring into his own set. "We are asking you to help us."

**XxX**

**Oh don't be so surprised. I do this every time people. I leave you all craving for more, and I also pi-**

**Lawyer Tom: Oh, you have the energy to spout nonsense against your readers, but you don't have the time to write me into the disclaimer? Seriously man?**

…**Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away.**

**Lawyer Tom: No I won't.**

…**Did you hear something?**

**Anyway. One thing that always bothered me about the Edolas arc, is that you have this awesome new world that you can use, and was never really expanded upon. It was just a place to show magic and fighting and saving guild mates, yet the story of Edolas is never really shown. I'm trying to expand on it, but I'm also trying to keep the people in Edolas as crisp and as in character as possible.**

**For example, Erza from Earthland always wears armor, yet the Erza from Edolas wears a skimpy bikini armor that borders on indecent. Erza from Earthland doesn't want people looking at her without her armor, while Erza from Edolas is inviting people to look at her. Well, at least, that's one theory. Anyway! My point is, I'm not changing the characters, only expanding upon them. Honestly, there are some people out there that overwrite the story, simply because they don't like this or that about the original. If you're really trying to become a good writer, someone that actually wants to make something good, then you'll write the characters that you hate. Whether it be in Fanfiction or in original fiction. You can never avoid writing a character you hate, and no matter what you do, you'll be forced to make them human. If you change the character by going *poof*, then you are guilty of being an extremely boorish writer that avoids the uncomfortable simply because you don't like it. I mean, I don't like Hinata from Naruto at all. Yet I don't change the character, nor am I explicating her bad sides via overdoing her shyness. I simply write her as Hinata. That's it.**

**Seriously. If you're going to change a character, an entire world, then be sure you give a good reason other than 'because I don't like them.'**

**I'm also not above people proving me wrong. If I mistook something in the canon universe, tell me right away. Knowledge if power after all, while ignorance is...erm... what's the opposite of power again?**

**On another note, don't threaten to drop a fic simply because you don't like this particular thing. Reviews like 'I'll drop this fic if' or 'I'm going to drop this fic when you', do not make good reviews. If you're going to make a review like that, then it's better if you write a fic yourself. I'm not calling out anyone in particular, but honestly, those kinds of reviews are shallow and makes the writer (at least, the new ones) second guess what they're doing. **

**On that note, what did you think of this chapter? Good? Bad? Review and tell me what you think.**

**And I apologize for the late update. My net... you know, it's hard to get a good solid net connection. That's all I'm saying about this matter. Hopefully, it doesn't do _that_ again. But if it does... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	4. The Knight(Walker) and The Prince

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Lawyer Tom: You know, I probably could muster up something that will make you own something of significance.**

**Oh yeah? How're you going to do that?**

**Lawyer Tom: Easy. I can introduce you to a publisher.**

**You know a publisher?**

**Lawyer Tom: Nope. But I probably would get introduced to one.**

**I'm almost afraid to ask but… how?**

**Lawyer Tom: Easy, if you just say you own everything that you've written, the publisher of the series you're ripping of-**

**Okay! Back to my subconscious you go!**

**Meh… Again.**

**Just a warning, this chapter can be considered filler. Nothing much happens, just some talks between the people and more world building. Though if I contradicted something, please tell me. I'd be happy to fix it, or at least try and work around my mistake, like any human being would. *shots fired against the human race*.**

**And just to be clear, this chapter will have minor details that aren't that obvious but will play a large roll to what happens next. Hey, messing with another world will cause the continuum of that world to go askew, from minor details, to major ones. You'll just have to read to understand what I'm talking about.**

**Also, Shirou isn't Kiritsugu. Kiritsugu didn't pick sides, while Shirou would gladly pick sides. Don't mistake one for the other just because one raised the other.**

**XxX**

In the end, he accepted.

They had asked him to help them find the people that had been taking the magic, and to bring them to justice.

What they had told him made sense. People without magic could not survive, he knew that. And though they obviously weren't telling him everything. They were forthcoming with all his questions. He really had no reason not to trust them, and almost all of them had the best interest of the people in their hearts.

He said almost all, since the man with the white coat and psychotic eyes looked like he didn't really give a damn as long as he was having fun.

And so he accepted, and the meeting was soon adjourned. He was thankfully given a room to stay in, and though he wanted to go home, he really wanted to help them. Not just for the sake of the people, but for their futures as well. They lived in blissful ignorance simply because they feared the Exceed that lived above the clouds. That was no way to live, and had Rin been the one in his place, she would have probably chastised the people – king or not – that their way of dealing things was wrong. He didn't agree to their methods either, but he understood the need to stay unconscious to those things. He knew that the stature of secrecy that the Magus Association had erected was there for a good reason. Had the secret got out, had the magi with the power to level cities, reanimate dead bodies, and even break the laws of certain physics been found out, then the world would go into a frenzy. The people – regular people without magic – would panic, simply because they wouldn't feel safe anywhere. This fear would lead to anger, and this anger would lead to mass hunting. The witch hunts during the dark ages happened because a magus had enough of the secrets, and had told people – high ranking people – about magic. It also didn't help that the church really didn't like magi at the time as well.

Here though, panic would not lead to mass hunting, it would lead to rebellion. When the people figured out that the king was as weak as they were when compared to the Exceed, they would question why they needed a king in the first place, why they needed laws when they could so easily be smote down. This would lead to crime, whether this is murder, rape, or extortion. People would rebel against the laws that were erected for their safety, simply because their lives, lives that they thought were secured, weren't as secure as they first believed.

And this would only happen to those that feared the Exceed, the newer generations, the ones that did not witness first hand the destruction that the Exceed wrought, would seek to destroy the thing that made them scared. Which would only lead to bigger genocide if the Exceed decided that they couldn't coexist anymore with people that had lost all semblance of civility.

The future of the people, no, the future of mankind in this world rests on the clutch that was ignorance. He would find a way for the people and the Exceed to exist, that he promised. But first, he needed to deal with the problem that threatened the peace.

The guild known as Fairy Tail.

When he accepted, the first thing he asked was what he should do. The king only told him to look for the guild known as Fairy Tail, as they were the only guild left that stole magic. He had asked what happened to the other guilds, since the king had insinuated that there were others, but the king only shook his head and told him that they were 'dealt with'.

He didn't question the king after that.

Soon, he was led out of the anteroom by Knightwalker. She had reminded him that she wanted to show him something, and she wanted him to see it as soon as possible. He had acquiesced to her, as he really had nothing better to do. But on the condition that she show him where his room was after their affair was sorted out. He didn't want to blindly walk around the castle for the entirety of the night looking for his room.

She had agreed, and they were on their way.

"So," He began as he looked at Knightwalker, who was walking just beside him. Knghtwalker tilted her head slightly to the side, with her eyes staring at him from their corners. "What exactly did you want to show me?"

Knightwalker's response was to smirk at him, before she turned her eyes back forward. "I want to show you my armory."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but it was completely missed as she had her head turned forward. So instead, he voiced his confusion. "Is that the only thing you want to show me?" He asked. From the previous conversations he had with Knightwalker, he thought she wanted to show him two things.

Knightwalker shrugged her shoulders, but didn't stop walking. "I wanted to show you some of the Fairies that had been caught, but I figured they could wait for a bit. After all, it's not every day I meet someone that loves weapons as much as I do."

He frowned at her. Fairies? Did she mean members of the guild Fairy Tail? They had caught some of them? And just what did she intend to do with them? Also, he didn't necessarily love weapons. They were tools that he used, and he couldn't in the right mind, find it in him to get emotionally attached to the weapons in his mind. If he did, he'd end up crying every time he broke a Noble Phantasm and it exploded in his face. No, the weapons in his mind were just tools. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I don't love weapons." He said as he kept pace with Knightwalker. He noticed that she was looking at him again, so he let out a small shrug. "To me, weapons are tools that you use. Whether it's to kill, wound, or protect. Weapons are meant to be used, and they shouldn't be personified." Of course, he didn't say all of these things because he was pragmatic. It was simply because he could Trace, re-Trace the weapons in his World at a whim. They would never leave that place, and he would never run out of weapons to hold. In the right hands, the weapons in his head could become living weapons. But in his hands, they were nothing more than tools that he used.

Of course, the irony was that in his hands, he could master them all simply because their previous owners mastered them. And those said owners had spent their entire lives practicing the techniques using the weapons.

The swords retained memories of their owners, but they didn't retain any emotion. That was why he couldn't rightly hold sentimental value to them. Even Excalibur was just a tool to him.

He had made sure never to say that to Saber's face of course. He didn't feel like experiencing Excalibur's might directed towards him.

"A pragmatic individual then." Knightwalker said, her stride never breaking. "I can understand. I hold no love for my weapons as well."

That… didn't make sense. "Err," He began, unsure if Knightwalker understood what she had just said. "You just-"

"Contradicted myself? Yes. I did." She completed his sentence for him, making him even more confused. If she knew she was contradicting herself, then why was she doing it in the first place?

He was about to voice out that question, but Knightwalker chuckled, making his words die in his throat. "I'm contradicting myself simply because I do not care if my weapons break, but I hold some weapons dear to me." She stopped walking, prompting him to do the same. He looked at her, and then at the door in front of her. The wooden piece was nothing of note, just a simple wooden door with a handle attached on it. Quite a difference from being opulent.

Come to think of it, the throne room wasn't as opulent as the exterior of the castle. Maybe that was the king's real personality. He understood why they would do that anyway. It was to give a sense of stability, even when they were all scared. Chalk another point up to them and their explanation.

"This is my armory." Knightwalker began as she pushed open the door and walked in. He made to follow her, but stopped dead in his tracks as Knightwalker spoke up again. "It also doubles as my bedroom. Watch your step, it's messy in here."

Did she just say this was also her bedroom?

"Err," He began nervously. For some reason, this was awkward beyond awkward. You didn't just invite someone you just met into your bedroom. It was weird, plus it was indecent. And who introduced their room as an armory before saying it was where they slept! "Is it okay for me to enter?" He asked outside the door, not taking a step inside.

"What?" He heard Knightwalker speak from behind the slightly ajar door. "Couldn't hear you, come in here so I can." He sighed. Well, that was an invitation right? Though… it was a rather poor one.

"Excuse me." He bowed his head as he pushed the door open. He was surprised however, when the door refused to budge as he tried to open it fully. He stepped through the doorway, and leaned past the door to stare at what was holding the door from opening fully. He felt his jaw drop at the heap of… unmentionables stacked just behind the door and was being pushed into the corner of the square room.

He blushed as he realized he was staring at unmentionables, before he quickly rushed through the doorway and closed the door. Not looking back. Well, at least it smelled nice, which meant it was all washed… which also meant he actually smelt the heap of said unmentionables. Damn it.

"Don't worry," Knightwalker spoke up, but he refused to look up at her and he only stared at the floor. Which was surprisingly clean. No sight of unmentionables, clothes, or thrash could be seen. So he chose to stare at the floor. "Those are all washed. I can't stand the stench of dirty clothing, much less dirty clothing heaped together." That… He had nothing to say to that.

"Uh," He began. He looked up, locking eyes with Knightwalker, who didn't seem at all perturbed that he was in there. He took a deep breath, before he spoke. "Is it okay for me to be here?" He asked, honestly uncomfortable at being inside a woman's (dirty) room.

"What?" She tilted her head in confusion, her long red ponytail swishing to her side as she stared at him with confusion. "Of course it is. This is my room. I invited you in here." She said, as if that explained everything. Such simple mindedness could be applauded. But as it stood, this was still beyond appropriate for him.

"Err, that's not what I meant." He scratched the back of his head nervously. He didn't look away from her eyes however. That would be… disrespectful. Yeah, that was disrespectful. He wasn't looking at her just to avoid seeing another heap of clothing on the opposite end of the room. "I mean, is it okay for… err. Me to be here?"

Knightwalker frowned. Her confusion even more prominent as her face scrunched up slightly. "I just told you yes. Why would it not be?"

He let out a sigh. Okay, maybe something more direct… "I'm a guy inside a girl's room. That's inappropriate." He spoke, his eyes still locked with Knightwalker's.

A second passed, and then two, and then three before Knightwalker finally blinked. Her earlier confusion turned into bemusement. "Are you a celibate?" She asked him, her tone as teasing as it was curious.

He blushed. Not because the question was embarrassing, but because that question led to certain… thoughts. Thoughts that denied him being celibate. Quite well in fact.

He shook his head. "No," He answered, he could feel blood rush to his ears and face. But he nonetheless kept eye contact. "It… just seems inappropriate because we just met."

At his words, Knightwalker smirked. "Well, aren't you the innocent flower?" She teased, which honestly annoyed him.

He let out a small sniff. "And you're quite the showy woman." He blurted out without really thinking. He didn't know why he did that, but honestly, being called a flower, as well as innocent, he wasn't going to let that slip.

Silence permeated. He looked up at Knightwalker, only to see her staring at him with a look that he couldn't quite discern. He blinked, he didn't just insult her did he? Well, yeah, he did. But it was offhanded and meant as a response to her saying that he was a flower. After a few more seconds, Knightwalker threw her head backwards and laughed uproariously, garnering confusion from him.

"Ha!" She exclaimed after laughing. "You're not afraid of speaking your mind do you?" She asked him with a grin. He couldn't help but shrug with a small smile on his face. Something that was taken positively by Knightwalker. "Good! I was getting tired of those milk-drinkers and their sucking up. It's nice to have a fresh face around here that isn't scared or reverent of me who also doesn't have the same respect my peers show me."

Did… Did she just say she wanted someone that disrespected her? Sure it was a roundabout way of saying it, but still, the context of that entire sentence told him that Knightwalker wasn't someone that was disrespected. She was probably strong… No, not probably, she _was_ strong. You had to be to actually become a knight, much less a knight captain in charge of a legion of soldiers. Still, why did Knightwalker want to get disrespected?

"Don't get me wrong," She said as if answering his thoughts. "I'm just not one for revering someone you have only heard about. I respect power, and it's obvious you do too. That's why it's refreshing." She grinned at him again. "Simply because you're the first person I've met in a long time to think that you're at least better than me."

Wait, did she read that much into the situation? Well, what she said wasn't exactly wrong, but it seems like she thought he was underestimating her. And that just wasn't true. He knew he was a walking Deux Ex Machina sure, but still, that didn't mean he walked through life easily. He knew that his weapons wouldn't do good for every fight, so he learned how to fight, how to win in a situation that was hopeless. How to find openings in an opponent and capitalize on those mistakes.

That was why he knew that most of the Knight Captains he had seen were people he would be hard pressed fighting. From the confident way they stood when he walked by them inside the antechamber, he knew that they didn't look at him as much of a threat. If anything it was them that was underestimating him! But… Of all the knights, only Knightwalker, the large hairy knight, Sugarboy, and that white-coated man with the crazy eyes didn't seem to underestimate him.

It was strange, Knightwalker's actions and her words were contradictory. She was… if he had to describe her, was like a long-winding path. It would curve, slant, and even turn back, but it would go towards the same destination, it was up to the one that was walking on said path to see it through to the end.

"Anyway," He was snapped out of his musings as Knightwalker clapped her hands. "I brought you here for a reason." She said as she turned her back on him and started walking towards a door on the far end of the room. Presumably to where her armory was. He idly wondered if her armory was enchanted and that the inside of the room was larger that it seemed. There were no Bounded Fields that he could detect, but still, that didn't mean they weren't there.

He quietly followed not sure what else to say since he really had nothing else to say. He avoided looking at anything else, as most of those other things were unmentionables that he probably shouldn't be seeing. So he faced forward, staring at Knigthwalker's back. His eyes took notice of the way she walked, with quiet confidence that was quite the anti-thesis to her outspoken personality. He shook his head however, as he finally took notice that he was staring a little bit too long at her. Great, just when he had resolved not to look at unmentionables, he had gone on to look at the unmentionables currently _on_ Knightwalker.

"Aside from the one in the middle, you may touch everything else." She said without turning back at him, he wondered what she meant, but decided he would at least answer her.

"I'll try not to touch that then." He honestly didn't need to touch anything. If he wanted to examine something, he would just Structurally Grasp it. Bonus points if what he was Grasping was a weapon of some sort.

"Hmm." Knightwalker nodded her head, but since she had her back to him, he could only see her ponytail bobbing up and down that indicated the action.

Knightwalker walked up to the door, and placed a hand on the handle. He heard her mutter something, but only caught the tail end of it. "…Might."

In a flash of light, runes of some sort appeared on the door, and after a few seconds, the door returned to its previous structure, no runes or anything to indicate that it had been tampered with. And when Knightwalker pushed open the door and stepped inside, he quietly followed.

He was right, the room behind the door did expand.

He said he was right, simply because whatever this place was, it couldn't have been inside Knightwalker's room. And since he was pretty sure Knightwalker's room didn't comprise eighty percent of the castle, then it was pretty obvious that this place was a Bounded Field of some sort.

He stared up at the ceiling, estimating that the room was past twenty-five meters. The room was tall, yes, but it was also pretty narrow. At most, only three people could fit in the hallway of the room, and that was from shoulder to shoulder.

He then looked down, and then onto the rows of weapons lined alone the walls of the room. Spears, swords, hammers, shields, and whatever else you could use as a weapon were lined along the walls. They were all neatly arranged in wooden holds, and even then, most of those racks were overflowing with at least two or three excess weapons. As if that wasn't enough, racks were stacked upon those racks until they reached the ceiling.

All in all, the narrow room reminded him of a library… if a library consisted of weapons stacked upon each other on racks that is.

He looked down the room, and found that Knightwalker had left him and was in front of a weapon that wasn't with the others. Silently, he made his way towards her. His eyes wandered at the weapons around him as he did so.

Each weapon he gazed upon, was recorded almost immediately. It didn't feel dirty, nor did it feel like he was doing something bad. Simply because these things were tools, tools that were supposed to be used.

From a sword that could generate air as it moved. To a spear that spewed fire from its back end, to a hammer that struck as fast and as hard as lightning. These weapons were the ones in the rows around him. Not quite Noble Phantasms, but more like Mystic Codes. They were of average make, but they were still potent when given the right use.

Finally, he reached Knightwalker, but before he spoke up, he took a look at a unique row of weapons. He said unique, because unlike the other racks, which had differing weapons stacked upon them, this rack had identical black spears lined upon it.

He Grasped one of the identical spears, and was actually impressed. This one was amazing in make, not just in quality, but also in its use. It changed shape depending on the person's need for it. It was versatile, and it was powerful. It didn't surprise him when he scanned the spear, did he find out that this was the preferred weapon of choice by Knightwalker. It was versatile, and it made all the other weapons in this room obsolete since this spear could do things the others could and then some. Maybe that was why most of the weapons in this room were slightly dusty?

He shook his head, before he turned back towards Knightwalker. Who was staring down at an altar of sorts. On top of the altar, was a single longsword. The sword itself was four feet long, longer than the average sword, and had a pommel and guard that was silver in color. The handle was royal blue, and at the bottom of the hilt sat a single ruby jewel that had seemed to have lost its shine.

Idly, he Grasped it. And as he processed the sword, watched its history as well as its make. He wished he hadn't.

This… This wasn't a tool. This sword, it would never be used again. He remembered another sword like it. Clarent was her name. Part of King Arthur's – Arturia's – legend. Clarent was never a sword of war, it was a sword used in peacetime, used on the shoulders of knights as the King bestowed upon them the highest honor he could. It was the hope of the people that this sword replaces Excalibur. Replace the sword of war, with the sword of peace. But it was this sword that would eventually be stolen, and it was this sword that would eventually slay Arturia. On that hill of swords, this was the sword that dealt the killing blow.

Yet, the weapon before Knightwalker and Clarent were the same, yet opposite.

Clarent turned into a sword that sought blood after it had killed its master, it would be perverted, it would be defiled, the sword of peace, turned into a sword that sought war, that sought its master's blood. But the sword before Knightwalker, the sword he had Grasped. This sword was blood becoming stagnant.

If Clarent was defiled, than this sword was redeemed. From its bloody past, this sword that sought nothing but blood would stop as its gluttony for what it sought turned on its wielder.

Clarent was a sword for peace, defiled as it stabbed its master. This sword, this sword was a sword of war, redeemed as it tasted the blood of its master.

Its past was quick, bloody and personal for Knightwalker. He closed his eyes, and pushed the sword to the back of his mind, all its memories, experiences, even its name. She would tell him in her own time. He could at least give her respect in that regard.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't compliment the sword. "It's beautiful."

"You really think so?" Knightwalker asked without turning towards him. Before he could answer though, Knightwalker continued. "Because I don't."

He waited for her to elaborate. "This sword, it was used to kill my father." There was a hint of regret in her voice. "My father, he was a hero to me, but a traitor for the kingdom. He was the best Knight this kingdom had ever seen, had ever had, but he was also the worst it would ever have. He served the previous king, not the one you had seen." So he served the king that had started the war?

"He was the first casualty." Knightwalker's words made him look at her back with sadness.

"You…" He trailed, hesitating on what he should do. Finally, he let out a breath, before he raised his hand and placed a hand on Knightwalker's shoulder. The act made her flinch, but she made no move to remove the hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to tell me."

Knightwalker was silent, and for a second, he thought that she wouldn't say anything more. But before he could let go of her shoulder, she spoke up. "He wasn't killed by the Exceed."

He knew that, he knew that even though he shouldn't. He had seen the memories of the blade, they weren't pleasant memories.

"When the war started, my father was against it." Knightwalker explained, her voice was stoic, and her back was straight. "He objected to it, telling everyone that it was suicide, that it would only lead to death and suffering. No one listened."

"This sword, he always had this sword on his person." Knightwalker continued. "My father wasn't a good man, he had killed innocents before, had killed people and even children with this sword. All in the name of the king, his king. He was the perfect example of a knight that served his king. His code of chivalry ignored all the other rules except for one, to-"

"To follow the king's orders without question." He finished for her. He knew the code of chivalry the knights used. He hadn't expected it to be the same in this world however.

Knightwalker turned around and faced him, her face showing obvious surprise, but she was also slightly impressed with him. "It seems you also know the code of chivalry. Were you a knight?" She asked him. He frowned, before he shook his head.

"I wasn't, I was just taught about it." He answered vaguely. Not wanting to reveal anything more than he should.

"I see." Knightwalker closed her eyes, before she nodded her head. "My father always followed that tenet, never failing to follow it."

"Until the war." He completed what Knightwalker was about to say. Causing her to smile a little at him.

"If you keep completing my sentences for me, people might assume we're in love and know what the other is thinking." She teased him, and he couldn't help but blush a little.

"Err, sorry." He apologized before he gestured for her to continue with her story, but it seemed like she wasn't about to let it drop.

"Though I wouldn't mind." She said, her voice sultry. He could feel his face burning, and he looked away in embarrassment. He knew she was teasing, but still, she was a very beautiful woman, and he couldn't help but react.

Finally, after two seconds she laughed. "You're like a babe," She teased, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at that.

"Who are you calling a baby?" He pouted but didn't look at her, he could still feel his face burning.

Knightwalker's reaction was only to laugh. As she calmed down however, she spoke about her story again. "When the war was declared, my father was against it. He begged the king to reconsider, that this war was suicide." Knightwalker sighed, her face turning to that of melancholy. "But the previous king would not listen."

He turned back towards Knightwalker, and saw that she was gripping her hands in a fist so tightly that it was turning white. "The previous king accused my father of treachery, and ordered him to be executed."

From the tone and the way she was telling this story, he guessed what would happen next. "He did it himself."

Knightwalker nodded her head. "As I said, he was the best, and the worst of us."

Silence descended on them both. It wasn't awkward, but it was uncomfortable enough. Finally, after a few seconds, Knightwalker spoke up again. "Well, I have shown you my armory, as well as given you an added story." She said with a nod of her head. She then faced him with some excitement in her eyes. "Now it is only fair that you show me yours, complete with a story of your own."

He was amazed at the Knightwalker's sudden change of mood. Maybe she was used to her story? But then, she did say that she preferred her family name instead of her given one. And she had also said that she saw her father as a hero instead of someone that betrayed the kingdom. There were things that were missing in her story, and even though the sword he had Grasped told a complete story of it, only bits and pieces of Knightwalker's own story was mixed with those memories.

He didn't know why, but he was getting curious about Knightwalker and her past. He guessed because their pasts were similar. But didn't think about it too much.

He had another problem to deal with, and that was telling Knightwalker that he couldn't just show her his armory.

"Err," Carefully, he made to explain why he couldn't just pull out his armory. Hopefully, they could come to an agreement, and she would then show him to whoever she had imprisoned in this castle later.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

"Guah!" She blinked at the reaction. She had been expecting him to react the same way she did when she had been freed from that crystal, staying calm and collected, just like his own magic. What she didn't expect however, was for him to react so violently… and without clothes.

She placed a hand on her face as she watched Gray Fullbuster look around him without any clothes except for his underwear on. She swore, his disappearing clothes was a magic all in itself. She was only glad that _he_ was the only one affected.

"Er-za?" Gray began tentatively, looking around the forest they had situated themselves in. By 'they', she meant her and Gajeel. They would have tried to find a cave or something, but Gajeel's injuries had been severe. She was amazed at the tenacity the Iron dragon slayer showed when they were carrying the lacrima, he hadn't once complained and had only fallen over when he couldn't walk anymore.

She was about to order him to rest, but was stopped as he only shook his head before he told her that "I need to break the lacrima first."

Which was what he did, and now they were here, with a half-naked Gray looking around as if he was seeing a strange land.

She wanted nothing more than to tell him to sit and be calm, but priorities first… "Gray, your clothes."

And for the second time that day, she heard her friend shout. "Guah!" as he frantically searched for his missing clothes. "How does that keep happening?!"

She let out a sigh, before she turned towards Gajeel before quickly making her way towards the still injured dragon slayer. "Damn," He muttered as he slumped against her. She gently guided him to the floor while looking over the extent of his injuries. "Don't suppose you can spare a few swords or pieces of armor you aren't using anymore Scarlet?"

She thought about it for a second, before she nodded her head. She focused on her magic, and called for an iron weapon. She felt it appear in front of her, before she grabbed the hilt. It was a normal sword, no special properties whatsoever. She got it as a gift from a blacksmith a long time ago, and she never got to using it simply because she had better weapons than it. But still, that didn't mean she didn't regret parting with it. "You owe me a sword." She said half-jokingly, half-seriously at Gajeel, who only let out a slight laugh.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her joke off. "Just gimme the damn thing. That clown took the wind out of my lungs. Literally." As she handed the weapon to Gajeel, she looked up at Gray, who had already clothed himself, and was looking at them both with surprised and slightly worried eyes.

"Hey, is the iron-lung-" He began, but was cutoff by Gajeel.

"Bad choice of words ice pick!" He shouted as he chewed on the sword. Making it sound slightly garbled, but nonetheless still understandable.

She sighed for the… third time? She lost count. But honestly, this wasn't the time.

"Gajeel, Gray," She spoke with authority, making them both look at her with slight fear in their eyes. He smiled a little, at least they still listened to authority. "Good. Now, Gray, if you can help me with Gajeel."

"Hang on Scarlet." Although he was still scared, Gajeel managed to interrupt her. He looked at him, only to see him pulling out another pill like the one she was told to swallow when she first woke up.

He then tossed the pill towards Gray, who deftly caught it in his hands with confusion. "Drink that ice pick, it'll restore your magical powers."

"Restore my magic?" Gray repeated, confused as he looked at the small red pill. He looked away from the thing, before he spoke again. "What do you mean by that?"

Gajeel had returned to eating the sword, and was in the process of swallowing a piece of it when he answered. "It means that you don't have any magic you dipshi-" She narrowed her eyes at Gajeel, who noticed it from the corner of his eyes. He swallowed, before he amended what he was about to say. "-you ice man?" He tried, and she nodded her head.

"Right, it means just as I said ice man." Gajeel turned back towards Gray, who was barely containing his laughter as he saw the exchange between the both of them. She turned her glare towards Gray, who straightened up almost instantly as she caught sight of him. "You can't use magic right now. Mystogun told me that drinking that'll restore your magic."

"Mystogun?" Gray repeated as he looked at the pill dubiously. "What does- Whatever." He shook his head. "I can use my magic just fine, I don't need a stinking pill to-"

"Gray." She cut him off. "When I first woke up here, I noticed that my magical reserves were at an all time low." Gray blinked at her. "Tell me, do you feel like you can use your magic?" She asked him with raised eyebrows.

Gray huffed, before he answered. "Of course I can! See?" He raised his right hand and stared at it calmly. She waited for three seconds, before she gave him another look.

"See what?" She asked.

"Wha-?" Gray shook his head before his face scrunched up into that of concentration. "What the hell! I can't use my magic!"

"Like I said ice-wad." Gajeel began before he sat up. She moved back a bit to give him some room. She noticed that his wounds were already healing, but they were still pretty severe. So if they were supposed to move, it would have to wait. The wound on Gajeel's chest was large and quite possibly life-threatening if strained. "Just drink the freaking pill so we can- gah." He keeled over as he clutched his chest. Almost instantly after that, she was upon him.

"Don't strain yourself." She chided her guild mate. And though her words were stern, she knew her tone was like that of a caring mother/older sister. She loved her guild mates, and she would be damned if she had to watch them suffer while she was in their vicinity. "Your wounds are still fresh. We can't walk around yet if you're that injured."

Gajeel however, only clucked his tongue in frustration. "Like hell we're resting." He objected as he began to stand up. She placed a firm hand on his shoulder, before she pushed him back down to lie on the grass.

"You need to rest." She ordered him with stern eyes. Gajeel for his part, quietly complied. "And besides, you still haven't explained to us what's going on."

She felt Gray right beside her. He was still standing up, but from his position, he couldn't be looking at anywhere else but at Gajeel. "What happened to you?" The question was directed at Gajeel, but she decided to answer for him.

"He was injured in a fight trying to get us free from the lacrima." She pointed at the remnants of the lacrima crystal Gray had been sealed inside of. "You and I were both trapped inside of it until Gajeel freed us." She frowned as she realized that that was really all she knew about the subject.

She looked down at Gajeel and gave him an expectant look. Quietly telling him to take over the conversation. He sighed, before he spoke. "Mystogun didn't really explain everything to me all that well-"

"Didn't explain well, or you didn't listen well?" Gray's comment earned him a sharp elbow to the knee from her, forcing him to curse before he was forced to bend down and sit.

"Be quiet and listen." She ordered him. There really was no time for insults and jokes. Her previous joke aside, whatever Mystogun explained to Gajeel might help them understand what is going on.

Gajeel only huffed, before he shook his head. "Most of the things he said went over my head actually." Well, at least they could count on Gajeel being truthful. "But what I understood from what he told me is that the kingdom in this world is using magic from another world, to power their world."

She blinked. She didn't need to turn towards Gray to know that he had the same reaction as she did. "What do you mean by world?" It was Gray that asked the question both of them were quietly stowing on.

Gajeel for his part, only tilted his head, which looked ridiculous seeing as his head was still planted on the ground. "Can't you tell? We're not in Earthland anymore."

That much she could grasp. It was obvious since she had been carefully observing her surroundings when they had stopped. Unsurprisingly, it was the green sky that she took notice first. Followed by the strange flora and fauna that she could see. She had two theories on that could explain both instances. One, they were in another world altogether, or, they were in another continent. The latter seemed much more realistic, since the Earthland was a large place. They could have easily been in another continent, but that did not explain the green sky. It was common knowledge, the sky was blue, no matter where you went unless magic disrupted that. And since she couldn't really detect magic in the sky; that left the other option.

That they were in another world.

"What else di-"

"What do you mean not in Earthland anymore?!" She rubbed the bridge of her nose with armored digits as she heard Gray's outburst. Why couldn't he be calm and collected like his magic? Why did he have to have a hot-streak just as bad as Natsu's?

"Exactly what I said icicle." Gajeel replied calmly as he stared at the both of them. It was almost disconcerting how calm he was, given the situation. She had honestly half-expected Gajeel to have thrown a tantrum or even be slightly edgy. Then she immediately dismissed the thought. Gajeel wasn't Natsu. Even if they were both hard-headed and were dragon slayers. "We aren't in Earthland, Mystogun told me this place was called-" Gajeel paused, his face scrunching up in frustration as he tried to think of something. "Edo-something. Edogalant, yeah I think that's what its called. Edogalant."

"Edolas." She corrected him. Well, he may not be as hotheaded as Natsu, but he was just as intelligent. She wasn't insulting Natsu's and Gajeel's intelligence, when the time called for it, they both were geniuses in their own rights. But sometimes their lack of formal education showed.

She also knew it was Edolas because she had caught sight of one of the fallen guard's that were sprawled around the village they had left. Conveniently, both Earthland and Edolas operated under the same alphabet system, also even more convenient was that the guards apparently paraded around with the name of their world on their armor.

Maybe this world was more united than Earthland?

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it was Edogalant." Gajeel commented as he nodded his head, as if what he said was the truth and what she had said was a fairy tale.

She just stared at him blankly. "Name aside," She tried to move the conversation forward. But she shot a look at Gray as she caught him about to say something, prompting the ice-mage to stop. She nodded her head, grateful that Gray was so understanding. She then turned back to Gajeel, who still had his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. "What else did Mystogun tell you?"

Gajeel opened his eyes, and then uncrossed his arms. "Well, the turman said that all our guild mates are in one giant lacrima over the castle." Gajeel paused for a second, before he seemed to remember something. He snapped his fingers and muttered an 'oh'. "But flame-brain, Lucy, and Wendy aren't in there. They were separated when the portal that threw us in Edogalant tried to turn everyone into a lacrima crystal."

"Wait," It was Gray who spoke up. And for a second, she expected a sensible question, like 'why did they turn everyone into a lacrima?' or 'what are they going to use the lacrima for?' Instead, she got a question that made her want to rap the man above his head. "Who's turman?"

"Mystogun." Gajeel answered immediately. She made a move to stop the conversation, but Gray just had to ask.

"Why turman?"

"You know, cause he's always wearing that turban to hide his face."

She wanted to palm her face, and had it not been for her armored hands, she would have done so. But as it stood, she didn't want to hurt herself, so she settled for the next best thing.

Smack! Smack!

She moved swiftly and her hit was accurate. She looked at Gray, who was clutching his head in pain as he crouched down. She then shifted her gaze to Gajeel, who had the same look on his face, though looking more annoyed than outright hurt.

"What was that for Erza?!" Gray exclaimed. She felt her eyebrow twitch. That question was even worse than the previous ones! He didn't know what he did wrong!

She cracked her knuckles as she stared both men down. "Can we get on with the explanation?"

They both nodded their heads at the same time. Making her smile. She sat back down, before she faced Gajeel. "Now, why are our guild mates part of a giant lacrima crystal?"

Gajeel let go of his head, before a deep frown marred his face. The frown disturbed her, there was an intensity there that she almost couldn't recognize in the iron-dragon slayer's eyes.

It wasn't until Gajeel next spoke, did she understand what that intensity was. She couldn't believe she couldn't recognize it. It was the same intensity she had when she was protecting her guild mates, and Gajeel, it seems he wants to protect the guild just as much as her. Even though he was still new to it.

She didn't need to look at Gray to know he felt the same way either. It seems all three of them knew what they had to do.

"The lacrima is going to be used to smash into another kingdom in the clouds." Gajeel's voice was bristling. And she couldn't really blame him.

Lacrima was a fragile crystal. It could hold magic, but a simple strike with a hammer could render it completely useless. That was why it was mostly used as lightbulbs, or even put in swords to enchant them. They were also literal batteries in magic; a single lacrima crystal the size of a regular sized human could hold as much magical energy as three wizards.

But it was still fragile. And getting smashed into another kingdom would definitely destroy it. As well what's inside it.

"What?!" Gray's reaction was expected. She would have done the same really, but she needed to remain calm.

"Mystogun said that the kingdom of Edolas wants to destroy the kingdom in the clouds called Extalia. So the king's going to use the giant lacrima to smash into Extalia."

Our guild mates are going to die. Was what Gajeel's words were hiding just underneath their surface. Gray caught on quickly, and only looked away as he balled his fists in frustration. She took a deep breath, as much as she looked calm, she was stowing inside. She wanted nothing more than to charge and free her guild mates. But…

As if responding to her thoughts, Gajeel flinched as he grabbed his chest. She was immediately upon him, helping him lie down on the grass. But as she did so, she was met with resistance from Gajeel.

"No!" He protested as he tried to sit up, only to be forced back down by her. "I can't afford to rest! Mystogun told me that only a dragon slayer can free the people inside the lacrima!" He tried to fight, but she only pushed him down even more.

"But you're still injured." Her voice was calm. She looked down sadly at Gajeel, who had stopped his kicking and moaning as he stared at her. "Going there now, you would only be a hindrance to whatever plan we create." And they didn't even have a plan yet.

"Erza's right metalhead." She felt gray on her left. He was standing, and was looking down at Gajeel. But her eyes were still on the iron-dragon slayer, going back through his injuries. "We need to plan how we're going to attack a kingdom. I doubt that we can just march in there and destroy the lacrima."

Gajeel, instead of agreeing to them both, only scoffed. "What are you two so scared of?" That question made her narrow her eyes. "The police force here isn't all that strong! I managed to get to you two by going through everyone. We can get by the knights no probl-"

"Except you aren't just going to go through the knights." A new voice interrupted Gajeel, the voice, it was familiar, yet so foreign. It belonged to someone from her past, someone she would never forget. Yet, it also belonged to another.

She looked back, towards where the voice came from. Gajeel and Gray were also doing the same, looking back and trying to discern whether or not who spoke was an enemy or not. But she knew better, and even though she didn't know him personally, even though she never met him face to face, even though he forced everyone to sleep when he came by the guild, she knew who he was.

"Mystogun." She said his name as he appeared from behind a tree. His turban still over his face, and his tattered and worn clothes were flowing as he started walking towards them. The numerous magical items he always carried (she knew because the master told them what magic he used), were strapped on his back. Most of them staves, but some were of the bladed variety.

"Gray, Erza, Gajeel." He nodded to them all, before he slung the pack of magical items to his front, and placed it on the ground carefully. His turned away from theirs, as he crouched down and began examining the items in his pack. "It's a shame I had to meet you three in trying circumstances, but I'm afraid my hand has been forced."

She raised her eyebrow in question. But before any of them could ask what he was talking about, Mystogun had finally finished his examination, before he drew a dagger from the pack. He then gently threw it at Gajeel, who deftly caught it and stared at it as if wondering what he should do with it.

Mystogun straightened himself, before he gestured towards the dagger. "Eat it."

She caught sight of Gajeel looking at Mystogun dubiously, before he shrugged and dug in. The crunch of metal getting crushed under teeth echoed around the forest. It took Gajeel a total of three big mouthfuls to get to the hilt of the dagger, which he couldn't eat as it was made from leather, before he threw it back at Mystogun, who caught it without much trouble.

"No offense turman, but that didn't really fill me up." She saw Mystogun raise an inquisitive eyebrow at what Gajeel called him, before he shrugged and replaced the dagger into the pack. He then picked up the pack, before he spoke up.

"It wasn't meant to fill you up." He then pointed towards Gajeel's chest. They all turned towards it, and even Gajeel looked down in curiosity as to what exactly it was that was on his chest.

She saw nothing that would indicate that it was tampered with. She wondered exactly what _did_ the dagg- wait, nothing?

"Hey!" Gray exclaimed as he pointed at Gajeel's chest. "You don't have your wound anymore!"

"Well, what do you know!" Gajeel said with a grin. He then placed a hand on his chest as he examined it, particular where his previous wound was. "I don't feel a thing! Whatever that stick of metal did, it was good!" Gajeel then tried to stand, but fell back on the forest floor as soon as he planted both his feet on the ground.

"Hey! What gives?" Gajeel tried to stand again, only to fall back on the floor again. He tried again for the third time, but the same thing happened.

"I apologize, but you cannot stand as the dagger will force you to sit down and wait for its job to finish." Mystogun began as he stared at Gajeel with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"What'dya mean by that?!" Gajeel exclaimed as he tried to stand, but fell right on his ass as soon as he was upright.

"The dagger, it isn't really a dagger meant to hurt people. Quite the opposite actually." Mystogun began to explain as he walked over towards Gajeel. "As contradicting as this may sound, the dagger is meant to heal wounds rather than inflict them. Though the normal operating procedure for the dagger would be to stab the one afflicted, I hazarded a guess that it would be much better for you to eat it. You see, it's rather fragile as it is."

She hummed in thought. An act that caught the attention of the three others in the forest with her. "A dagger that heals? I've never heard of such a thing before. Did you come across it during your travels?"

Mystogun nodded his head. "That I did, but that is a story for another time." He changed the subject, much to her disappointment. She rather liked getting news about new weapons and armor, and tried to fish for information so she could add to her collection.

"You mentioned something about the knights not being the only obstacle." She began as she stared at Mystogun. His eyes locked with hers, and it honestly made her uncomfortable how familiar they looked. She looked away first, unable to really stare at them for too long. "What did you mean by that?"

Mystogun seemed to hum in thought, before he answered. Completely ignoring Gajeel as he tried to stand up again. "While it is true that the police force won't be much trouble for you. The ones leading are the ones that will spell trouble."

"'One's leading'?" It was Gray that voiced the question. "What does that mean?"

Mystogun only nodded his head at them. "Exactly what it means." He began before he grabbed hold of Gajeel's arm, and pulled him to lie down on the floor. This prompted the iron-dragon slayer to give Mystogun the stink-eye, but it was wholly ignored as Mystogun continued his explanation. "The King has platoons of knights led by Knight Captains. While it is true that a hundred lesser soldiers won't be any trouble for any of you. Even one Knight Captain is probably equal to a Wizard Saint in Earthland."

"Surely they aren't that strong." She tried to refute that statement. The Wizard Saints were the best of the best. They had wisdom, strength, and power. And they were revered as the strongest the kingdom of Fiorre had to offer

Mystogun however, only shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not joking." He said seriously, looking at all three of them with grim eyes. "They are battle-hardened, and they can stand toe-to-toe with a Wizard Saint if they so chose."

That was… that was grim. If they really were that strong, then just mindlessly charging forward into the kingdom would be the foolhardy thing to do.

"Hey, Mystogun." She looked up at Gajeel, surprised at the tone he was using. It was… cautious. "Was the guy I fought, was he a Knight Captain?"

She looked up at Mystogun, waiting for his answer. But to her disappointment, he only shook his head. "Sorry, but I did not see who you fought with. Perhaps if you gave me a descripti-"

"Red hair; used two curved swords that were black and white. He was dressed like a clown, that is, he had a white t-shirt with blue sleeves and jeans. I didn't see his shoes, but he also had golden eyes." Gajeel described the opponent he fought. And she really couldn't refute him for what he had said. After all, she had caught sight of him as well. But…

"He wasn't really clownish looking." She corrected Gajeel. His clothes weren't really all that strange really.

Gajeel however, just shrugged at her. "Looked plenty like a clown to me."

He heard Gray snicker right next to her. "So you got your ass beat by a clown? Talk about pathetic!"

And as expected, Gajeel reacted like she thought he would react. By throwing a challenging glare towards Gray. "I can still take you to school like I am now you walking icicle!"

"Yeah, well I wanna see you try metalhead!" She let out a breath, honestly, this was getting stale.

"Gajeel, Gray. Enough." She then turned back towards Mystogun when she was sure that both Gajeel and Gray got her message.

"In any case, he might not have been a Knight Captain, nor do you know who he is, but there's a question that's been on my mind for awhile now." Not really all that true. It had been on the back of her mind for awhile, but she never gave precedence to it except for now.

Mystogun nodded to her, giving her the signal to go ahead and ask. She stared right into Mystogun's eyes, she didn't want him to lie, not on this. "How do you know all this?"

It wasn't that she distrusted Mystogun, in fact, she trusted him with her life. But as it stood, he knew too much if he had arrived in this place with them. It was like, like he knew all about this before.

Mystogun let out a sigh, before he reached for his turban. She watched as he pulled the blue piece of cloth over his head, revealing his head of messy blue hair and a tattoo that was very much like Jellal's, except it was on the opposite side of his face, on the left side.

She heard Gray shout in surprise, while Gajeel looked on in confusion. It was expected, Gajeel didn't know who Jellal was, so he wouldn't know who he was. "Jellal!" Gray shouted, she tried to stop him from doing anything rash, but found that she didn't need to, as Gray couldn't conjure his ice.

"The hell?!" He shouted as he pounded his left fist on his right palm. It was one of his typical stances when he tried to use his magic, but it seems that he hadn't taken the pill yet.

"You didn't take the pill yet did you?" It was Mystogun that asked the question. She watched as Mystogun stood, and then went over towards Gray. He reached for something in his pocket, before he flicked it over towards Gray, who deftly caught it. "This time, don't throw it away."

"I didn't throw it- well, maybe I did." Gray mumbled the last part, before he took the pill and swallowed. She watched with curiosity, it was one thing to feel your magic returning to you, it was another to see it happen to someone else.

To her disappointment however, there was no glowing, no flashy lights, only Gray straightening his posture. Well, if her previous experience with the pill was any indication, than it shouldn't affect the environment, only the drinker. But still, it was rather underwhelming.

After a second, Gray held out his right hand, and closed his eyes. And a second later, ice started to form in his palm. The ice began to congregate to the center of it, before it formed into the symbol of Fairy Tail. "Yes! I can use magic again!"

"Don't use it up too much though." She turned back towards Mystogun, who had already taken back his seat from across hers. "You can't regenerate your magic as much as you normally would here in Edolas. I'd estimate that you'll have to rest for two weeks if you use up all your magical energy."

"Two days?" Gray repeated, disbelieving. "I usually regenerate my entire pool in two days. How do you know that it'll take two weeks?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, how _did_ you know Mystogun?" She didn't mean to sound intrusive. But well, what Mystogun knew about this world was suspicious.

Mystogun for his part, only tilted his head, his blue bangs swinging in front of his eyes as he stared at them with confusion. "I know because I can estimate Gray's magic pool."

Not… Not the question she wanted answered. Though it was amazing that he could do that from afar. But still, it was like he was skirting from the question, and that was unacceptable.

She narrowed her eyes at Mystogun. "I think you know that's not the question I was asking." She said as she stared at Mystogun. Their eyes locked, but this time, she didn't look away.

Mystogun let out a stead breath, before he slumped. "Well, I guess I had to tell you guys sooner than later." She relaxed herself as she caught sight of Mystogun's face. His face was wistful, while his entire body looked like it was slumped in defeat.

"I know because I was part of this world. Part of Edolas."

…

…

…What?

"You were…" She paused as she stared at Mystogun. "You were part of Edolas?"

Mystogun sighed, before he stood up. He faced all three of them, before he bowed. "Let me introduce myself properly." He straightened himself, before he looked up with a defeated smile that was directed at them. "I am Prince Jellal. Heir to the royal throne of Edolas. And I come here, asking for your help."

**XxX**

**Shorter chapter than I usually do, but well, it's kind of hard to start writing this. I'm not being lazy, but without this chapter, you'd probably be confused in the next chapter.**

**Anyway, to explain this chapter. Well, the first major divergent is already here. Don't notice it? Then it's probably overlooked by a lot of people. But to make it easier for you guys, the divergent is Mystogun himself.**

**In the manga and anime, Mystogun wasn't part of the main force in freeing the Lacrima, he kinda just arrived at the last second to save the day. Well, here, thanks to Shirou injuring Gajeel. They (that is, Erza and Gajeel) were forced to stop in a forest. And, I don't normally do this, but a little spoiler for the next chapter. Mystogun wasn't following them, he was just walking around. It was by pure chance that he caught sight of them. But in the canon world, they wouldn't have been there in the first place. They would have invaded the capital already, leaving Mystogun to keep walking without meeting anyone.**

**Anyway, that's it for this chapter. The next chapter will have Shirou meeting Wendy and Natsu.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	5. The Prisoners and Code EDT

**Disclaimer: I own nothing save for the OC's, OI's (Original items), and original idea for this story. The characters and the general universes are things that I do not own.**

**Lawyer Sam: Hello. Starting today, I'll be your new lawyer.**

**Wait, dafuq? What happened to Tom?**

**Lawyer Sam: Tom is… indisposed as of the moment. Don't worry; I can assure you that I am just as good if not better than Tom.**

**Hell naw, I want Tom. Not some fat hobbit.**

**Lawyer Sam: I am not a hobbit. Please refrain from insulting me.**

**I can insult you as much as I want, I'm the one typing you into this disclaimer.**

**Lawyer Sam: *Sigh* I can see why Tom is such a cynical soul.**

**Yeah, well get used to it. I'm cynical too… to some extent.**

**Lawyer Sam: I detected a pause.**

**Shut up and just let me get on with the AN please.**

**Alright people. This is where things start getting to the main story. No more back stories for awhile, I just want to continue forward to show you guys what will happen now that Shirou had gone and injured Gajeel.**

**On with the show.**

**XxX**

"Hey! Let me outta here! I need to pee!" He heard the shout before they even turned the hall. He was surprised that he actually heard it, the walls were made of stone, and the only way for a prisoner's voice to reach where they were they would have to be shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Shut up back there." He caught sight of a guard banging on a metal door, presumably to the prisoner that had screamed. He saw the guard sigh, as the prisoner continued to scream.

"If you don't let me out I'll just go right here!" He couldn't blame him really. Someone that rowdy would be hard to keep quiet, and the shouting would make even the most patient man want to pull his hair in frustration if they were subject to it for hours on end.

"Eeek! Natsu please don't!" A higher pitched voice shouted. A frown appeared on his face as he approached the guard with Knightwalker in front of him. That voice was feminine and sounded like it belonged to a girl no older than the age of twelve. Was she a prisoner as well? Was she raised to steal, to plunder, and to take ever since she could walk?

"I'm really gonna g- huh?" The voice cut himself off as they stopped in front of the steel door. They couldn't see him, since the door was closed and the shutter for bringing food in was closed, but apparently, the prisoner – Natsu from the previous child's voice – had sensed them.

"Guards," Knightwalker's voice resounded through the hall. The guards straightened themselves, but he had noticed that they had been preparing to do so for awhile now. He shrugged, they did see them walking towards the door after all.

"Captain Knightwalker." They greeted with a salute that involved banging their right fist to their chest. He noted that they didn't have any weapons, and that even though they tried to hide it, the signs of fatigue was obvious in their bodies. From the way they slouched slightly, to the way their breathing seemed more ragged and heavy.

"You may take your leave for today." Knightwalker declared, earning a sigh of relief from both guards. "I'll send some of my men to guard these two later, for now however, I wish to see the prisoners."

The guards dropped their salute and shook their head. "By all means captain, go in." One of the guards gestured towards the door. "But they don't seem willing to listen to us, and one of them just keeps demanding to go to the restroom, I swear that one is a loon."

He caught sight of Knightwalker's smirk. "I thank you for the information Gregory. Dismissed both of you, get some food from the mess and then sleep for the rest of the day." Both guards saluted again, before they turned and walked away. Their steps noticeably heavy and their feet dragging.

"Man, Captain Knightwalker is so nice, and so pretty." He heard the guard called Gregory whisper to his companion. The other guard nodded his head in agreement, before he punched Gregory's arm lightly.

"Just don't let that blind you. Captain Knightwalker can be pretty ruthless, she's been confessed to multiple times, and all of the poor sods who she accepted for dates lost most of their savings account in one night." He cast an incredulous eye towards Knightwalker, who was also listening to the conversation.

She just shrugged, confirming to him that she had indeed done that. She also looked unrepentant. "Free food is free food. I turned them all down at the end of the day. I just humored them." More like humor yourself. He thought blankly as he stared at the pony-tailed beauty.

The guards had finally turned the corner, and they were alone in the hallway again. He turned towards Knightwalker, who seemed to be contemplating something.

"What's wrong?" He asked, unsure why she looked like she was second guessing. Knightwalker then turned towards him, her face serious and her tone equally so. But despite that, her question really didn't feel like a serious one at all.

"Should I kick the door down, or should I enter while saying something that will scare them?" What kind of question was that?

"Uhh," He didn't really know how to respond to that question. So he only shrugged his shoulders, leaving his silence as the answer.

Knightwalker seemed disappointed that he couldn't help her with this dilemma. But as she began pondering again, the voice from inside – the prisoner Natsu's – shouted again.

"Come in Erza, I know you're there." He blinked in surprise, how did he figure out that Knightwalker was here?

"Oh?" Knightwalker's face turned predatory. "It seems I'm expected." She said before she pushed open the door, allowing the wooden backside of it to slam onto the wall it was hinged to. He idly wondered what she had with doors and slamming them against the wall, before he shrugged and followed her inside the cell.

It was small, and Spartan, with only the prisoner's and the chains that shackled them inside it. They were shackled on the walls, hands in the air, while their bodies were allowed to limply lean onto the rocky wall. Their feet were spread in front of them, and their heads were turned towards them as they entered.

"It seems you know who I am." Knightwalker spoke with a slight edge in her tone. She seemed to catch sight of who had spoken, and her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He frowned as he followed her gaze.

It was a man with pink hair, a black vest with nothing underneath save for his muscles, white pants that reached just above his ankles, and sandals. The only thing that stood out from the man was his pink hair, and the white scarf around his neck. There was something… odd about it. Certainly the way it was styled was normal, tiled with light blue lines. But there was something to it, something he couldn't quite place. It was like the tiles weren't really tiles, but something different altogether.

The second person in the room, was a little girl, probably no older than twelve or thirteen, fourteen if she was demure. Her long blue hair was colored like the ocean… no, it was the color of the sky. It was also styled into two pig-tails on the side of her head. Her wide eyes revealed worried and troubled irises the same color as her hair. All in all, the girl didn't look like she couldn't steal anything, let alone harm anyone.

"Natsu Dragion." Erza's tone was vindictive, malevolent in its way of letting the words roll out of her mouth. "You were always the most troublesome bastard. Always getting on your high horse when you got behind that wheel, and falling down to dirt level when you're pulled from it." Wheel? There were cars here? Weird, there were no roads save for walking ones.

"Dragion?" The man known as Natsu repeated, his tone confused. "My name isn't Dragion, its Dragneel!" He said with a slight snarl. "And you're not Erza, you're not wearing armor!"

Wait, armor? He remembered the other Erza, the one that had burst from the crystal had armor on. Could this person be talking about _that_ Erza instead of this one? If so, why were there two Erzas? He had thought they were twins, but it seems that wasn't the case. He had just thought that the parents had been lazy in naming their daughters and had called both Erza… Which was a rather weak excuse, but the most probably and possible one at the time.

"You seem to know of another Erza, yet I am the only Erza here." Knightwalker spoke with narrowed eyes. "I am Erza Knightwalker, and I am the one known as the Fairy hunter."

Knightwalker's face then turned sadistic. "I've killed over half of that pathetic guild's members. I was ordered to kill, and I gladly took on that order and did it efficiently and swiftly. My first strike against you sundered your guild house, killing the pathetic Raijin." That seemed to make Natsu stiffen.

"You… You killed Laxus in this world?" In this world? What was going on?

"Laxus? That pathetic excuse of a human being was the first person confirmed to have died." Knightwalker's voice was sadistic. He grimaced a little. He was used to those kinds of people, he had to work under some of them as well, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy seeing that kind of personality. He let out a sigh, their personae really didn't tell everyone what they needed to know about them it seemed.

"You're not Erza." Natsu repeated as he pulled on the chains, seemingly trying to get at the Knight Captain. "You're not Erza Scarlet!"

"Scarlet? So that's her name." Knightwalker seemed to nod as she digested that information. "I'll remember that when I stick her head on my spear." Knightwalker chuckled darkly, an act that caused Natsu to growl. "That is, if she'll even show up."

"Knightwalker." He tried to placate her. Really, this was getting uncomfortable. Rin was sadistic, so was Carren, but they weren't vindictive to this extent. They knew when to stop. It seemed that Knightwalker didn't, so he'd gladly tell her when to. "Don't taunt them. They're harmless. Just get what you want from them and leave."

His words seemed to surprise the Knight Captain, and for a second, he thought he had offended her. But suddenly, she laughed. A chuckle at first, before it turned into full blown laughter.

"Efficient even now I see." She said as her laughter died down. He could see Natsu had calmed down as well, but was still wearing a grimace on his face. He was staring at him now, trying to see if he had an angle. He shrugged, it was good to doubt. He couldn't exactly help them right now, as they seemed to be enemies of the state they were in, so the least he could was just deflect Knightwalker's malicious intent.

"Or perhaps you're a bleeding heart?" He turned towards Knightwalker, who only shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'll do as you say, we don't have much time anymore anyway."

Knightwalker turned her gaze back towards Natsu, her smirk returning, but looking less malicious than before. "If you don't want to get hurt, tell me where the Fairy's are hiding." So threats of torture? Not unexpected, but not exactly promising either. The man looked like he had gone through pain before, he doubted he would break if they inflicted any more pain onto him.

"No matter which world we're in, Fairy Tail never betrays one another!" Natsu shouted with defiance. "So you can torture me all you want, but I won't talk!"

"Oh, don't worry." Knightwalker's earlier glee returned. She then turned around, and he instantly knew what she had in mind. "You're not going to be tortured."

"Don't you dare!" Natsu's demanded, seemingly knowing what Knightwalker was talking about. "Don't you dare touch Wendy!"

Knightwalker ignored the demand, and started to move towards the small quivering child. He didn't let her take four steps towards the child, before he stepped in front of Knightwalker, preventing her from coming any closer to her.

"There are better ways to get the information you want." He said slowly. He was pushing it, he was shielding the people that were the cause(?) of most of the troubles in this Kingdom. But he couldn't just stand back and let anyone torture a small child.

"Yes, there are." Knightwalker's eyes had narrowed and her tone had taken a dangerous edge to it. "But this is the fun way."

"The fun way isn't necessary." He persisted. This wasn't right, he knew that, and sometimes, he could do the things Knightwalker was doing if it meant he would save people. And right now, that was what he was doing.

It's true he had said he would help find the guild Fairy Tail and crush it, but that didn't mean he would allow them to just die. He was trying to think of a way to actually help them, as well as help the kingdom without bloodshed. Hurting the girl would indeed probably help them find the guild faster, but that was just too much for him to stomach.

"Are you standing in my way Emiya?" For once, Knightwalker's vindictive tone was directed at him. He didn't flinch however, he just nodded his head, before he dropped his hands to his sides, his hands grasping imaginary hilts.

"Yes I am." He answered without fear. If worst comes to worst, he'd call off his agreement, words were just words, and he needed to pride and honor. If it meant saving more lives, than he'd gladly do it.

He didn't know how long their eyes were locked with each other, but he did know that he wasn't the one that broke eye contact first. Knightwalker did, but not before letting out a light chuckle.

"You are an interesting man Emiya. Willing to kill, yet unwilling to sacrifice lives. You are a bleeding heart, but I guess that's why you have steel in your eyes." Knightwalker finished before she turned, allowing long scarlet hair to fly for a brief second before she began to walk towards the door.

"I will wait for you to finish talking with these prisoners. And then I will lead you to the other one. The blonde one. She seems to know what is going on, better than these two anyway." She finished by the doorway, her back was still to them, and she didn't turn around. She only reached for the handle on the door, before she pulled it closed behind her.

With a loud slam, the door shut. Leaving him alone with the two prisoners.

He sighed, he didn't know if Knightwalker was praising him, or damning him. Either way, he just couldn't let her torture a child. The man, probably. Partly because he looked hardy enough to take punishment, and also partly because he had called him a clown. He didn't hold grudges, but really, that was maybe the third or fourth time he had been called a clown.

"Uhm," He turned towards the voice. Towards the blue-haired girl that he had his back turned to. She looked up at him, her face slightly flushed, but otherwise looking alright. She seemed to be struggling with her words, so he just shook his head at her.

"It's no problem." He told her with a small smile. The girl's flush turned brighter. It was cute, she reminded him of Illya. "I couldn't just let her torture someone like you."

If possible, the girl's face grew redder.

"A-a-ah. T-thank you!" She bent down a little, an act that was no doubt hard as she was still chained to the wall. It was a strangely Japanese custom, but he didn't give it any thought.

"Hey clown!" He turned towards the one that spoke. Towards Natsu, who seemed to be frowning as he stared at him. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything, so he just stood there, locking eyes with the red-haired teen. Come to think of it, he could be the same age as him, or maybe he was a just little bit older? He didn't exactly know.

Suddenly, Natsu nodded. An act that greatly confused him. "I can see you're a good guy. So you'll get us out right?"

Such… a weird conclusion he had gotten to. Nonetheless, he shook his head negatively.

"Sorry, but even if I want to help you, I can't. And even if I could, it's probably better if you guys stay here." He reasoned with them. Natsu however, only grinned at him.

"So you're gonna free us right?" Didn't he hear what he just said?

"Sorry." He apologized even though he probably shouldn't. "I can't do that."

Natsu pouted. "Why not?"

"Because I want to understand what's happening in this world." He said bluntly. That was true after all, there was something deeper here, something that the king wasn't telling him, something that Knightwalker wasn't telling him. Maybe if he got the stories of these two, he could get a clearer picture.

"What's there to understand?" Natsu asked, his head tilting to the side. "The bad guys do bad stuff, and the good guys fight the bad guys and the good guys win! I'm a good guy, you're a good guy, that Knightwalker is a bad guy! So if you let us go, we can beat the bad guy and get the other good guys!"

He wanted so hard to just face-palm, but he wouldn't give the satisfaction of seeing showing that he wanted to. Really, he was talking so subjectively it wasn't even funny.

"Good and bad are subjective terms." He told him straightly. He then noticed that Natsu had a mark on his shoulder. It looked familiar, like he had seen it before, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it. "I'm just trying save as many lives as possible." He said straightly.

If possible, Natsu's grin just grew. "Then you really are a good guy and are on our side!" Really, just how thick was this guy?

"Uhm. Natsu. I-I don't think err…" He turned towards the girl – Wendy now that he remembered clearly – who looked like she was fidgeting under his stare, as if trying to figure out something. He then remembered he hadn't introduced himself yet.

"Err, Shirou. Shirou Emiya." He made sure to use the 'first name, last name' basis instead of the one he was familiar with.

"I don't think S-Shirou is on our side." He smiled a little at what she had said. She seemed to get it at least.

Natsu however, seemed unconvinced. "What are you talking about Wendy? He's a good guy! So he should help us!" Natsu insisted, making him shake his head demurely.

Wendy seemed to mimic his actions, as she had also shaken her head. "He is a good guy." She looked up at him, before she looked away hastily, a blush on her cheeks. "But I don't think he's on our side."

That seemed to mollify Natsu, and he released a sigh of relief, well, at least she got through with him.

"Sorry, to both of you. But right now, I'm not on your side, I'm on the 'bad guys' side." He made air quotes at the 'bad guys' part.

"But they're hurting people!" Natsu exclaimed. He sighed, he knew that. "They don't allow fun, and the Kingdom monopoliolizes the magic! The outer parts of the kingdom are dirt poor, and they don't do anything to help them!"

'Monopoliolizes'? Did he mean monopolize? And what's this about the outer parts of the kingdom being poor? That was the first he heard of it really. But still, poor didn't mean they weren't living.

"Magic isn't just life for these people." He explained. "They use it to grow crops, to light the streets, to feed people. And it may look infinite, but it will run out. The King is just trying to make it last longer without wasting any."

"But the street performers!" He turned back to Wendy, who had been the one to speak, and who also had a look of disbelief in her tiny eyes. "The people that use magic for the people in the capital? The amusement park." Her voice grew softer and softer as she continued, before it disappeared almost entirely at the last word. He smiled a little at her, trying to tell her to go on. She took a deep breath, before she spoke up again, her voice more confident, even with the light blush on her cheeks.

"Why can the King use magic like that, but not the people? It's not fair!" Wendy shouted the last part. He smiled at little, she seemed to understand the talks of people older than her, but it seems she still thought like a child.

Life was rarely fair, he could attest to that himself, after he was pulled out of that fire, he had screamed at the unfairness that he was still alive and the others died for years. Inwardly of course, but still it had been there.

He closed his eyes, before he answered without missing a beat. "Because the king is a hypocrite himself. A hypocrite and a coward, but nonetheless, a necessary coward."

"What do you me-" Wendy's question was interrupted by Natsu. He turned towards the pink-haired man, who was sporting a confused face.

"What's a hypocrite?"

…

…

…

He turned back to Wendy, who just nodded her head before she continued her question. "What do you mean by that?" She asked him.

He let out a sigh. Honestly, he meant it exactly as that. He wasn't affiliated with their king; he was only on a quest to help them find Fairy Tail after all. No official document was signed, so he could talk against the king without fear of consequences as that of a knight in his command.

"Sometimes being a coward is the better way." Was all he was going to say on the matter.

Wendy seemed to digest his words, but Natsu… Well, he was just staring at him.

"So why can't you free us?" Natsu asked again. He released another sigh, honestly, it was like he was talking to a brick wall or something. That, or Natsu viewed the world even more black and white than he himself ever did.

"Because I'm not on your side." He said again. Natsu however, seemed unconvinced.

"But you're a good guy, someone who helps people! Why can't you help us? And don't give me that crap about not being on our side. You're good if you're good. You're bad if you're bad. That's all there is." He was exasperated with him. But he was also slightly endeared of it. He actually reminded him of… him. When he was still a child, running around and beating bullies up while telling them it was wrong to do bad things.

He couldn't help but smile as the memory returned. His smile turned into a frown as he returned back to reality. He then shook his head, before he turned to Wendy.

"I'll see if I can get you guys out of here when this is all over. But don't expect miracles." He couldn't promise anything. Not when he was still missing something here. Wendy however, took his words at face value and nodded her small head, all the while blushing.

"T-thank you Shirou." She said with a slight stutter. His smile turned a little bit brighter as she did that. Really, Illya and her would have gotten along pretty well… probably. Illya was always a whimsical soul.

He turned and made for the door, ignoring Natsu's shouts all the while he did so. But as he reached the door, he turned one more time and nodded to the both of them. Wendy returned it, while Natsu did while asking him to free them.

He shook his head one last time, before he pulled open the door and stepped out. But as he closed it behind him, he heard Natsu ask a question, presumably towards Wendy.

"So… what's a hypocrite?"

He sighed.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

After that engaging talk with Natsu and Wendy, Knightwalker led him to another room. This one deeper into the dungeons.

As they were walking however, Knightwalker kept shooting him glances. He was aware that she was looking at him, he just wasn't aware what kind of face she was making as she looked at him.

He knew for a fact that Knightwalker had heard his talk with the prisoners, all that separated them really was a wooden door and a thick wall. The wall, you couldn't hear anything even if you pressed your ear against it, but with the door, you had the divider that opened to give food or talk with the prisoner inside. It was slightly open when he had walked out, so he knew that Knightwalker had heard him say all those things.

The problem now was, what was she going to do? He hadn't confirmed that he was against them, nor did he confirm that he was with the prisoners, in fact, he had denied being on their side. All he really said was that he was going to save as many lives as he possibly could.

Knightwalker seemed to have a sadistic streak to her, but even then he knew that what she was doing was for the good of the kingdom. She couldn't really prosecute a man saying he wanted to save lives.

Still, the unease he was feeling could be attributed to Knightwalker's glances towards him. Not because she _was_ glancing, but because he didn't know _why_ she was glancing. Could she be suspicious of him? Or maybe she was happy that he had said all that? What was it really?

"We're here." Knightwalker's sudden stop and her voice cleared his head of all thoughts. He looked up at where they had stopped, and saw that the door was the same he had seen where Wendy and Natsu had been. Wooden, with a divider in the middle of it to give out food or talk with the prisoners.

But unlike with the previous prison, there were no guards in this one. Suspicious, but not entirely unheard of. Perhaps they didn't think of this one as a threat?

"The woman behind this door is a threat." Well, there goes that thought. "She is able to summon beings from another dimension to fight for her. We had to take away her Keys, and have restrained her in handcuffs that drain magic."

At her words, he straightened a little. That means it could just drain her dry.

Seemingly seeing his worried face, Knightwalker let out a slight chuckle. "Truly you are one strange person." He looked at her, his face shifting from worried to confused. Knightwalker merely shook her head.

"It's not everyday you see someone worried about their prisoner. You say you are willing to kill, yet at the first sign of someone dying not at your hands, you become a mother hen."

He blushed a little at the comparison. It wasn't like he was mothering his enemies. It's just that… they weren't his enemies yet. They were theirs, not his. "They're your prisoners, not mine." He said with a slight pout, his face still flushed as he said so.

"So you say," He looked up at Knightwalker again. Only to see her eyes narrowed, and her previous sadistic face was shown to him again. "But didn't you say you would help us? Wouldn't that make our enemies, your enemies? Wouldn't that make our prisoners, your prisoners as well?"

He frowned at her sudden aggressiveness before he shook his head. "That doesn't necessarily mean that I allied myself to everything you do." He licked his lips as he knew what the next words that would come from his mouth would sound like. He dropped both his hands again, breathing deep, he imagined hilts on them. "That just means that I'm helping you as a friend, and not as an enemy."

If possible, Knightwalker's eyes narrowed even more. And for a second, he thought she would charge him then and there. Instead, she just closed her eyes and when she reopened them, it was to lock eyes with him. "You say that as though enemies can help you."

"They can." He affirmed what she had said. He had firsthand experience with that kind of thing. Images of a knight in red wielding the swords he was so familiar with, with ideals that were practically the same as his only much more cynical. He had been the one that pushed him past his limits, through their fight, and through his imagery, he surpassed battles that would have bested the knight himself. "And sometimes, an enemy's help is much more potent then an allies."

Silence descended upon them both. For a few minutes, they didn't speak; they only stared at one another. It was Knightwalker that broke eye contact first. "I see." She began. "You sound sure of this, why is that?"

"Because it's happened to me." He replied with a shrug. "The world isn't just black and white; I learned that the hard way when I fought a War."

"I see." Knightwalker repeated her earlier words. "Than you and I are different." She suddenly declared. They locked eyes again, and he saw that in Knightwalker's eyes was a fire, a fire that he had seen before. In the eyes of someone absolutely sure of his path. "Because when I fought my own war, I learned that the world is indeed black and white."

He didn't comment on that. A war had different effects on different people. He knew that, everyone knew that. But… what Knightwalker said was only a person who had fought on one side of the war should ever know.

He was different not in the way of what war they fought, war was war after all, no two ways about it. But he was different in the fact that he had fought in not just one side of the war, but in two, or perhaps three. That was how he figured everything wasn't black and white, that everything was just a different shade of grey.

"We waste time." Knightwalker suddenly declared. "The longer we are discussing war with each other, the longer the fairies have to live and waste magic." True, magic was a rare resource in this world.

"Come, we shall speak with this prisoner. Hopefully, she has more meaningful things to say then those two clowns." With that, Knightwalker kicked open the door, letting the door hit the wall where it was hinged upon.

He let out a sigh at that display, what was with her and slamming doors open?

"Hieeee!" A feminine voice suddenly shouted in a panic. He frowned a little, hesitating to step into the room now that he knew that it was for a female. He shrugged, before he bowed slightly and invited himself in. Hey, a woman's room is a woman's room. Regardless if it's a prison or not.

"E-E-Erza!" He looked inside, and saw a long-haired blonde woman with blue eyes staring at Knightwalker with shock and surprise. She was wearing… something that told him this woman liked being the center of attention.

A bright green sleeveless shirt that looked a little see through if wet enough, and a frilly red skirt with high-heeled boots. Really, she looked… he didn't want to say blonde bimbo, but uhh… damn it Fuji-nee! You're incessant need to watch foreign shows about teenagers in high school was starting to creep up with me!

"Lucy Ashley." She had two first names? No wait, Lucy was her first name, Ashley was her family name. "It's a surprise to see you here."

"Sorry," the girl known as Lucy began. Her voice slightly rasp. "But my name is Lucy Heartfilia, you want my Edolas counterpart if you're looking for Lucy Ashley." Counterpart? Hmm…

"It doesn't matter who you are." Knightwalker began, her manic grin returning. "Because you're going to tell us where to find the fairies."

"Never!" He blinked a little. That was surprising. Lucy had looked like she was scared, so scared in fact that her knees were shaking. But she had crushed that fear away and just said no to Knightwalker, who had a manic grin on her face as well. "Fairy Tail never betrays one another! That applies in this world, or in any other world!"

Knightwalker didn't say anything, and only walked over towards the blonde. "Your voice is grating." Knightwalker suddenly said as she grabbed Lucy's hair and pulled hard. It was then he noticed that unlike the previous two prisoners, Lucy wasn't chained to the wall, instead, on her hands was a sort of jelly like substance. Perhaps the item that would drain magic? "Perhaps I should cut off your voice box. Perhaps that will help alleviate the headache I'm getting from your voice."

And that was where he stepped in. "That's a little too much don't you think?" He asked suddenly. Knightwalker took her eyes away from Lucy to stare at him. "We still need her to talk; cutting off her voice box wouldn't make that any easier."

"But her voice is grating on my nerves." Knightwalker said, and from the way her voice sounded, she sounded like she was pouting.

"How can you be Erza." Lucy's voice suddenly asked. They both looked at the blonde, confused as to what she was getting at.

"I am Erza, fairy." Knightwalker confirmed with a sneer as she let go of her hair. "I am and will always be Erza. There is no denying this."

"Erza is kind!" Lucy shouted suddenly. She began raising herself to a sitting position. "She doesn't just kill people for the sake of alleviating a headache! She doesn't just say that she'll cut off your voice box like it was nothing!"

"It seems you have me mistaken for someone else." His eyes widened a little at Knightwalker's sudden tone. It was icy, cold, and _murderous._ "Let me rectify your mistake."

He clucked his tongue as he moved in sync with Knightwalker. Suddenly, he had Knightwalker's wrist in his hand and he was in front of Lucy. Both women looked up at him in surprise and wonder. Surprise from Lucy's, while wonder in Knightwalker's.

"Don't…" He began before he locked eyes with Knightwalker. "Don't just kill people because they annoy you. There are better reasons to start killing people."

Knightwalker's wonder however, turned to slight anger. "How about mistaking me for someone else?" She countered his argument, he only just shook his head.

"Still not a good reason to snap her neck." He countered back.

Knightwalker eased her shoulders, and he let go as soon as she did. Well, that could have gone better. "She doesn't know you yet. She doesn't know who you are, don't let her thoughts define you." He chided. He was guilty of what Knightwalker was doing as well. In his haste to prove to everyone that they were wrong, he had forgotten to help the one that was closest to him at the time. It was one of his biggest regrets, but it was also a defining moment for him in his life.

Knightwalker seemed to struggle a little, before she sighed, a sign that she was conceding to his point. "I'm starting to think if you keep coming with me, I won't have any more fun." He blinked a little, before he let a small smile appear on his lips.

"Yeah, I'm sort of a wet blanket myself." It was demeaning to him a little, but it was true. He didn't know how to have fun if he wasn't being led through it by someone else.

"Fine, fine." Knightwalker waved her hand dismissively before she went to the nearby wall and leaned on it. "You talk to her. If I do, I'd just throw her off a building or something."

"Oh come on, you're not _that_ bad, right?" He said with a little smile on his face as he stared at Knightwalker.

Knightwalker's response was to look away from him, her face slightly flush. Huh, maybe she was. He shrugged before he turned back to the blonde prisoner.

Steadily, he ducked until he was level with her. "You okay?" He asked, honestly concerned for her well being.

Lucy, apparently surprised by his tone, dumbly nodded her head.

"Sorry about all that." He apologized for Knightwalker. "But what we're doing isn't necessarily bad. We're just looking for the best way to save people's lives."

"Save people's lives?" Lucy repeated, her voice incredulous as she stared at him. "How can killing people be the best way of saving people's lives?"

He sighed before he sat on the ground next to blonde. Lucy shrank away from him, but he didn't care. Her question… that was one of the questions he didn't have the answer to yet. He was always looking for it really, but logic was not on his side.

After all, how can killing person A, help save person B? Why not just save both?

It was childish reasoning, but it was also sound reasoning. Greedy, sure, but nonetheless valid.

"I don't know either." He admitted. "But it's better than just standing around doing nothing, letting both sides fall."

Lucy seemed to take in what he said, as she nodded her head in slight understanding. "So, what are you going to do?" She asked him, her voice terse as she did so.

He frowned a little; it was like she was expecting him to hurt her or something. "I'm not going to hurt you for one." He tried to ease her worries, but that didn't seem to work as she just stared at him with even more distrust than before.

"And I'm just doing the job that was given to me." He said to try and reassure her. Well, those weren't really reassuring words, as his job was to track down Fairy Tail to bring them to justice. But it really was his job. You can't prosecute a man for doing his job… right?

"But your job… it'll hurt people." Lucy continued. He let out a sigh, well, she got him there. But still…

"A job's a job." He said bluntly. He sighed as he saw the blonde flinch. "If you just ignored the job you were given, then that wouldn't help anyone at all."

Lucy seemed to regard his words with some weight, before she let out a sigh. "You sound like a reasonable guy." She finally muttered. "So you have to believe me when I say that I don't know where Fairy Tail is."

He just stared at her, to which she replied by staring back. "They… didn't want anything to do with helping us free our friends and just sorta left us out here. They used some sort of teleportation magic to transport their guild hall somewhere else."

She wasn't lying to him. That much he could tell as he stared at her. He let out a sigh, before he straightened himself and stared at Knightwalker. "You heard her right?" He asked the redhead.

Knightwalker just continued to lean onto the wall with her eyes closed and her arms crossed. After a few seconds, she pushed off the wall and stared at him. "And you're just going to believe her?" She suddenly asked.

He shrugged his shoulders in response. The gesture was flippant, but the answer was obvious. He _was_ just going to believe her. She really had no reason to lie about any of this.

Knightwalker regarded him for a second, before she shook her head. "You're naïve." She declared before she moved towards Lucy with purpose in her steps.

He was about to stand in between Knightwalker and the prisoner again, but the sudden shout from the door stopped him and Knightwalker in their tracks. "Captain Knightwalker!?"

They both turned, and in the doorway they saw a knight with strange keys attached to his hip that looked more decorative than practical. The guard was also accompanied by a flying white cat with wings… wow, that was a sentence he never would have imagined coming out of his mouth. Or mind as the case was right now.

"What is the meaning of this?" Knightwalker declared as she moved towards the guard. She looked tense, ready to spring at whatever was going to happen next in an instant.

The guard looked nervous as he looked at Knightwalker, before his gaze turned to the flying white cat behind him. Finally, he let out a sigh before stepping forward. "Captain Knightwalker, the Exceed have demanded the freedom of the prisoners Lucy Heartfilia, as well as Wendy Marvell and Natsu Dragneel."

He could see Knightwalker tensing again as the guard explained the situation. "And under whose authority is this demand?"

"Under the princess of Extalia. Under the order of Queen Shagotte herself!" The white cat – wait, she was a princess? – declared as she floated to the front of the guard. Knightwalker seemed taken aback at the declaration, but still managed to regain enough of her sense to… suddenly bow?

"Forgive my rudeness your majesty." The sudden turn in her tone made him scowl slightly. Were Exceed really that powerful that Knightwalker would purposely prostrate herself like this? "By all means, the prisoners are yours." Knightwalker then stood and moved towards him. He noticed the terseness in her steps, as well as the way she was biting the button of her lips in slight frustration. It looks like she didn't like doing this as well.

"Carla!" Lucy suddenly shouted. "You're alive!"

The cat – Carla – just shook her demure head, before she nodded towards the guard. The guard immediately stepped forward and reached towards the jelly-like handcuffs on Lucy's wrists. He tapped the substance three times, before it suddenly turned into liquid and fell to the ground with a flop. Lucy immediately began rotating her wrists as if to figure out if they still worked.

"Ah geez, those things were tighter than I thought." She said with a slight frown. He watched as Lucy stood and made her way over towards Carla. He watched as Lucy neared, only for the cat to look down.

"Are you alright Carla?" Lucy asked the white cat, to which it only replied by looking down some more. Wait, was the cat feeling guilty over something? "Hey wait! You got your wings back!" Lucy suddenly exclaimed excitedly. Now he was even more confused, were the wings not part of the cats at all?

"…let's go." Was Carla's reply before she suddenly turned and flew out of the prison cell. He saw Lucy frown at the coldness, before she made to follow.

He then turned towards Knightwalker, wanting to see what she wanted to do. But instead of seeing her calm, she looked… downright murderous. He had to take a step back as it was uncomfortable just being next to her. Tentatively, he spoke out to her. "Err, Knightwalker, are you alright?"

"I'm… fine." She said after a pause. "Let's go. The least we can do is escort them wherever they go." Knightwalker suddenly declared as she began walking towards the doorway. He made to follow, but Knightwalker suddenly stopped, before she turned back to him. Her face conflicted.

She looked like she was about to ask a question, but she suddenly thought better of it. She then shook her head, and turned back around. He wanted to ask her what she wanted, but before he could, Knightwalker was already out the door and walking towards the previous prisoner Lucy, and the flying white cat with the confused guard.

Shaking his head, he made to follow, making sure to close the door behind him.

**XxX**

Soon enough, they were back in the previous cell where Natsu and Wendy were. With all the silent awkwardness that it entailed.

No one spoke at all, aside from the guard handing Lucy a set of stylized keys in a key ring, the only sound that could have been heard as they walked through the dungeon halls were their footsteps. Lucy tried to initiate conversation with Carla, but it seems the Cat didn't want to talk at all.

He was also sure that Knightwalker was glaring holes at the back of the royal cat's head. But was reigning in her anger and murderous intent.

He just watched as the guard moved towards the door, and proceeded to unlock it. The guard was about to push open the door, but another sudden shout made him stop in his tracks.

"In the name of his majesty the king. I order you to stop!" He turned his head so that he was staring down the hall. On the end of it, he saw Sugarboy along with a contingent of knights behind him walking towards them in great strides.

Carla suddenly flew towards the pink armored knight as well as his group. "What is the meaning of this? Queen Shagotte herself-" Carla had to fly back as Sugarboy had made to slice her in the air with a strange curved sword.

"Silence traitor!" Sugarboy's voice was full of contempt. His eyes even more so.

"Sugarboy, what is the meaning of this?" Knightwalker asked as she stepped forward. Sugarboy shook his head, before he pointed his strange sword at the flying cat.

"That Exceed is a traitor to her nation. Her accomplice is outside, avoiding capture as we speak. Messengers from Extalia have confirmed what we needed to know." Sugarboy then swung his weapon to the side before he let it rest by his side. "That Exceed is a traitor and Queen Shagotte has personally ordered her to be captured along with her accomplice."

"Open! Gate of the Taurus!" The sudden influx of prana had him moving when the word 'open' was shouted. He moved to grab Knightwalker and the guard, before he pulled them both out of the way as a giant… man-cow in wrestler underwear with an axe on its back materialized from air.

"Moooo! Ms. Lucy! Your breasts are as big and as beautiful as I remember!" The man-cow declared as he openly gaped at the blondes breasts.

Lucy just waved off the cow before she suddenly pointed at the door. "Taurus bust down the door!" She ordered. He watched as Lucy then turned towards Carla, before she spoke. "I don't know what's going on, but it looks like we won't be getting out of this so quickly, so you can explain later. We have to free Natsu and Wendy first." Lucy said before the sudden destruction of the door told him that the cow/bull/man hybrid had indeed bust down the door.

He let go of Knightwalker and the guard, before he turned towards the approaching group of Sugarboy and his contingent. "What's going on?" He asked, still rather confused as to what was happening.

Sugarboy just shook his head. "We will discuss this later. Right now, we have prisoners trying to escape." Sugarboy then turned towards Knightwalker, who had now straightened herself and was now standing up. "Captain Knightwalker, it seems that circumstances have changed." He then snapped his fingers. The crowd behind Sugarboy parted, before a guard was revealed holding a spear in his hands. The spear was familiar to him, as he had seen multiple copies of it inside Knightwalker's armory. "You now have permission to kill the prisoners, but the Exceed are to stay alive under the order of queen Shagotte."

Knightwalker stepped forward and took the spear, before a grin he was steadily getting used to seeing on Knightwalker's face reappeared.

He shook his head before he turned towards the door. He raised his hands, and said the two words he was so used to saying. "Trace On."

His circuits flared to life, and he could feel Kanshou and Bakuya start to form. But as they did, the sudden sound of something hitting against stone as well as the slight earthquake told him what the prisoners were doing inside the cell.

They just... broke down the wall. That would have been fine, if not for the fact that the prison they were in was a tower.

"Are they mad? We're twelve stories up!" Sugarboy exclaimed before he moved towards the door. He followed behind, with Knightwalker right next to him.

"Kyaa! We're so high up!" Maybe they weren't exactly mad, just… uninformed.

"They're trapped in there." Knightwalker spoke up as they arrived in front of the hole that led to the inside of the cell. They saw all four (five if you count the man/cow thing) peering down the hole the cow/man had probably made.

"Give up!" Knightwalker stepped forward and let the butt of her spear hit the ground. "You've nowhere to run, and jumping is not ideal in your situation."

"Don't worry! Your breasts are big enough to cushion our fall Ms. Lucy!" The cow suddenly exclaimed. But before Lucy could comment about that, Natsu spoke up.

"Hey yeah! Come on Lucy! You jump first then we'll use your boobs to-" He was cutoff as Lucy suddenly slapped him hard across the face.

"Don't agree with him damn it! My breasts aren't that big!" She declared as she wrapped one hand around her chest.

"Guys! Please don't fight! Not now!" Wendy tried to placate the blonde and the pink-haired man, but was doing so frantically as she looked in between them both.

"Just why is this happening?" He heard Carla mutter as she palmed her face with a paw. The act itself wasn't strange, what was strange was the fact that it was a cat doing it.

He stared at the scene in front of him. It was almost surreal now that he thought about it. The gravity of the situation was heavy, they were prisoners trying to escape and they were trapped. Yet, they weren't treating it as seriously as some would. They just continued to act like they weren't trapped at all. It was almost comedic the way they were fighting amongst each other.

Too bad Knightwalker didn't seem to be laughing. If she did laugh, then he was sure that this world was crazy… well, crazier than he first thought. "One last chance to surrender peacefully fairies." She warned as she readied her spear. She stared inside the cell, but he couldn't see what her facial expression was as she was in front of him.

"Never!" Lucy suddenly shouted as she turned around. All traces of her previous annoyance was gone, and replacing it was a face masked with determination. "We will never betray Fairy Tail to you guys, in this world or the next."

Knightwalker's response was to shift her spear. He caught sight of it in action, the blade at the end of it started to change shape, and soon, the basic spear end turned into two. He could feel the power radiating from it, but before he could comment on it, Knightwalker had spoken up. "That can be arranged."

She meant business now. But as she prepared to charge in and end the lives in there, another voice shouted from the hole that the cow had made.

"Guys!" The voice was drawn out and high-pitched. Natsu seemed to perk up at the voice, before he too shouted in response to it.

"Happy!" He exclaimed, and to every knights incredulity, he jumped outside.

He blinked once, before he blinked twice. Did he just… did he just shout happy while committing suicide? He had seen people kill themselves, heck, even vampire-like humanoids weren't immune to shouting things when they tried to take everyone with them. But this one took the cake for the weirdest shout before dying. Who just shouted ha-

"Happy!" Lucy shouted. For a second, he thought she would jump as well, but it turns out, happy wasn't an adjective. It was a noun. A proper one.

Natsu suddenly appeared from the hole, with white wings on his back. At first, he thought he had just spontaneously grown wings, and that shouting 'happy!' would make them spurt from his back. But as he turned, he caught sight of another cat, this one light blue with what looked like farmer's clothes on his person. Wait, light blue cat?

"We got a way out guys!" Natsu said with a grin. "Come on!" Natsu suddenly shouted before he lunged forward and grabbed Lucy's hand. He then suddenly yanked, making Lucy lurch forward with a shrill scream.

"Kyaa!" She shouted as she was pulled upwards and into Natsu's arms. He watched as Natsu clutched Lucy into a fireman's carry, before he nodded and then took off into the sky.

"Let's go too Wendy." The white cat known as Carla suddenly declared before she grabbed onto Wendy's back and proceeded to fly out.

That is, she tried to anyway.

He felt the wind shift, which was weird since there was no wind at all in this enclosed space except for the one coming from the prison room. It wasn't until he looked at Knightwalker did he understand what was happening and what she was doing.

The two prongs on the end of her spear had started spinning in a counterclockwise motion. It began dragging in the air around it, and due to the fact that it was spinning at an obscene rate, it started to drag the rubble from the hole as well as the cat and Wendy into it.

For a second, he thought they had caught them. And then he remembered that there was a giant man/cow/bull thing that seemed to like breasts. Big and small.

"Don't worry Ms. Wendy! I won't let your boobs lose their chance to grow! Moo!" The cow/man thing shouted before it charged into the tornado that was sucking in everything.

That would have been a foolhardy thing to do, but to a beast that held no self-preservation instincts and just chose the path that would protect the most boobs. It didn't matter.

The spear and the cow collided, and Knightwalker was thrown back by the cow's head smashing into the spear and literally breaking it to pieces. The shockwave also managed to rattle the knights and Sugarboy next to her, but he resolutely kept his feet grounded.

He shook off the feeling of lightheadedness that came from the shockwave, before he caught sight of the cow now plopped down on the ground. His eyes were closed, but the leer on his face could only be described as creepy. Not to mention it seemed to be muttering 'boobs' underneath its breath as it inhaled. It was just… weird.

He turned back to the hole, and saw that the Wendy and Carla were still in a daze over what exactly happened. Carla seemed to have recovered first, and was already in the process of jumping towards Wendy and flying her out of there.

He was moving before Carla's wings sprouted.

Too bad he wasn't as fast as he liked to believe he was. It took three seconds for him to sprint from rest to Wendy and Carla, but it only took Carla two seconds to let her wings sprout and grab Wendy before they started to fly off.

He watched as they slipped from his grasp, before they took off from the hole in pursuit of their friends. He let out a sigh. Maybe it was for the best. He didn't like taking hostages, the very thought made him feel like a bad guy. Still, it would have been nice to be able to talk to them about what exactly was happening. They seemed to know more about the situation then he did, and it seemed to run deeper than he first thought.

"Damn." He turned towards the voice, and saw that Knightwalker had righted herself and was walking inside the room. He saw her leer at the fallen cow, before she kicked it. He shuddered as the cow simply said 'More please.' In its sleep.

"They got away." He said plainly. He heard Knightwalker cluck her tongue in frustration, before she turned and began walking towards the door again. He then saw that the other knights had recovered as well with Sugarboy, who seemed more perturbed at the events than jarred by the cow's charging.

"They won't get far." The pink-armor wearing knight said with certainty in his voice. "Extalia has already ordered their own force to chase after the traitors. We can keep an eye out on the ground, but the Extalian forces will probably take them quickly and silently." He explained to Knightwalker, who simply shoved him out of the way as she turned the corner.

He raised an eyebrow at the act, before he turned towards Sugarboy, who only sighed at Knightwalker's attitude. But before he could comment, the cow suddenly started glowing. He readied Kanshou and Bakuya, just in case the cow would do anything, but he let himself relax as it disappeared.

That was a strange bit of magic, something about opening a gate? That was what Lucy had said right? Did it open a gate to another dimension? Maybe he could ask her to open a gate to his own next time he saw her.

"Always the proud soul." He heard Sugarboy say as he approached him. He raised an eyebrow in question to his words, but Sugarboy only his head at him.

"Never mind." The Knight Captain said before he glanced at the hole behind him. The pompadour'd knight then gestured at it, before he asked. "What do you make of this?"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Aside from the fact that it was an escape?" He wasn't sure what answer the knight wanted, but apparently, that wasn't it.

"Not from the escape," He said with a shake of his head. "Of the prisoners."

He paused to think of an answer. They were certainly… unique in a sense. They didn't seem all that threatening to be honest, but he had been wrong about people like that before. Thoughts of Sakura rose to his mind, before he cleared it. It wasn't really her fault, but still, she had been one of the most dangerous people he had ever encountered in his life. Not counting the Golden King and his future self that is.

"I think they weren't really dangerous." He said as an answer. That answer made Sugarboy nod his head in agreement at him.

"My thoughts as well." He agreed. "But that doesn't mean they aren't. The mere fact that they can so brazenly destroy part of a tower speaks for itself."

He supposed that was true. But still, if he had to see it from their perspectives, they really didn't have a choice. It was that, or fight through their way from the knights outside the prison room. And with Knightwalker and Sugarboy, he didn't really think that was a good idea. Speaking of Knightwalker…

"What's up with Knightwalker?" He asked suddenly. She had stormed off the moment she had recovered, not looking back whatsoever. Sugarboy only shook his head.

"Don't mind her. She's just rather angry at the fact that she was so easily beguiled by a rogue Exceed." Sugarboy explained. He supposed that fit with Knightwalker's personality, so he just shrugged in response to it.

"You don't seem surprised." Sugarboy pointed out. Again he shrugged, before he walked over to the hole and peered through it. He looked up and then down, before he turned around and addressed Sugarboy.

"She seems like the proud type." He said offhandedly. "Anyway, you mentioned something about an army of Exceed?" He asked. He had been looking for the prisoners as well as the army when he peered through the hole, but found none. He did catch sight of the giant crystal above the city however.

"Yes." Sugarboy nodded his head. "The prisoners will not get far, that much I can assure you." Sugarboy then gestured to the hole. He looked at it, before Sugarboy continued talking. "If they aren't caught by the Exceed, then our own hunters will be in pursuit, there is no place they are safe."

"Except in Fairy Tail." He said without really thinking. He frowned, before he turned to Sugarboy, who had his own frown on his face. He hadn't meant to insinuate that they couldn't do their job, but still, Fairy Tail had eluded their capture so many times that it wasn't even funny. It was like they were water, you couldn't hold them in your hand even if you tried.

"Sorry," He apologized. "But it's just that-"

"It's just that they have a hiding place." Sugarboy stated. "But don't confuse Knightwalker's mistakes as everyone's. And as much of a Knight Knightwalker is, and as much of a fairy hunter she is, she doesn't seem to grasp that the harder you grip a fairies wings, the harder it will try and escape."

He made to say something, but a sudden booming voice erupted from all around the castle. It came from above, below, to his left and right, it came from everywhere. It was loud, authoritative, and was mixed with a hint of insanity in it.

It was also the voice of the King.

"My Knights!" The king's voice shouted. "It is time for our victory! Finally, after all these years, we will have our revenge." He frowned, but before he could comment, he caught sight of movement in the hole. He looked out of it once more, and this time, he saw something that actually made his jaw drop.

Flying cats were in the horizon, an entire army of them. Legion after legion, he could make out estimate more than five hundred of them in just one contingent of the army. He Reinforced his eyes, allowing him to see further than normal, and he could actually see they were all armored, with swords and spears and axes in their tiny paws.

But though they looked like an invasion force, he saw that they weren't looking at the city at all, and instead were looking straight ahead. He squinted his eyes, before he looked up even more. He took care not to lean too forward, lest he fall. And as he looked up, he realized just what they were looking at.

Well, not what, but who.

It was the prisoners. They were still flying upwards, he caught sight of the two cats with wings, as well as the three humans. The blonde was being held onto by the pink-haired man, while the blue cat seemed to struggle to carry both. While the white cat had a better time dealing with her own baggage as the blue-haired girl was lithe and light.

So that army was for the five rogues? That seemed a bit excessive. And what did the king mean by revenge? Did the king mean to attack the entire army of flying cats? I thought they were scared of the-

"Initiate Code EDT!" Before he could finish, the king's voice shouted once more. Code EDT? What did that mean? And why did he feel weak in the knees for some reason?

He got his answer in the next five seconds.

He heard the whirring of some sort of machine in the first second. And then in the next second, the whirring stopped, and only the sound of his own breathing could be heard. The third second arrived, and the only thing he could see was a bright streak of light that sailed through the air. The light was actually so bright that it made him flinch away from it and cover his Reinforced eyes. The fourth second, and the light died, he looked up, and towards the army, and felt himself blanch at the sight, or rather, lack thereof. In the fifth second, he realized what happened.

The army… it was gone. And in its place, was another giant crystal, floating in the air with its own landmass right below supporting it, like the one he had seen in that village, like the one above the city. And then he realized just why Gajeel had been so transfixed with destroying the crystal. It held living things inside of it.

"Glorious." He looked to his left, realizing that Sugarboy was the one that had said that. "With this much Lacrima, we will never run out of magic!"

He felt his blood run cold. He knew this? And he was okay with it? "Why?"

Sugarboy's response was to look at him sadly. The look he was giving him was one of regret, but also one of determination. "Because we live in fear." He began. "I had thought you would understand."

He did, he really honestly did. But… he didn't think the fear would lead to desperation like this.

Before he could say anything else however, he saw Sugarboy drawing his strange curved sword. He took a look at it, before it was subtly recorded into his world without much trouble. He then realized that it was a mystic code with a strange power, to turn anything it touched into liquid. He made a mental note to not let it touch him.

"You look like you disapprove." Sugarboy said. He carefully nodded his head. Sugarboy let out a sigh. "You also look like one that will get in our way." Again, he nodded his head. He had given his word to the king yes. But really, he was only doing it to save lives. And this… this wasn't saving lives. This was prolonging a slow death while killing. He couldn't approve of this, and so he would stand in their way.

He saw the Knight Captain slash, but not at him, at the floor. "Then we do not need you." Sugarboy said. The knight then flashed him a small regretful smile as the floor started liquefying. "It was a pleasure meeting you Shirou Emiya. May you rest in peace."

And in the next second, he was falling twelve stories, with a liquefied floor falling with him.

**XxX**

**Well, that alliance didn't last long now did it?**

**Let's go over what happened in this chapter and the differences with canon.**

**First, we have Knightwalker **_**not**_** throwing Lucy off a building. Second, we have Carla arriving and almost succeeding with her plan to free everyone. Third, we don't have Erza and Gray arriving yet, due to the previous chapter. Fourth, we have the escape happen without Erza and Gray.**

**Everything else, is how it happened in canon… I think. Anyway, things are starting to get crazy. But hopefully, not so much. I already have an outline on what I want happening in this story, so I'm going to try and stick to it.**

**That's all I really have to say… Oh, and about Wendy… meh, y'all just figure it out.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**

**P.S: I got a copy of the Escapist. Hopefully, it won't affect my writing time. But... I'm addicted to that game now. Still digging a hole through the second map. I heard there was an electric fence, but I'mma see for myself.**


	6. Imprisoned

**Disclaimer: I own nothing and its hot.**

**Lawyer Sam: No. It is humid.**

**That doesn't help you know.**

**Lawyer Sam: I know, just wanted to clear up the misunderstandings.**

**Well, screw that. It's 41 degrees Celsius and it's humid. You do not know how hot it is right now in my country.**

**Lawyer Sam: Don't forget. It's midnight.**

**Yeah. I forgot. It's midnight, and it's 41 degrees. That's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And don't forget, it is also humid, which has another means of measurement in itself. So yeah.  
**

**Sorry about that weird disclaimer above there. Just… Really fucking hot.**

**Won't comment on anything to refrain myself from ranting. Cause honestly, that's what I want to do.**

**Instead, I will keep myself busy with hearthstone while I write this story. Thank Blizzard for windowed mode.**

**Also, props to the reviewers for pointing out the mistakes in the last two chapters, and how I misspelled Mystogan. Gonna correct that when I have the time.**

**And there is no such thing as black eyes. It's just all brown, blue, or green.**

**XxX**

He was falling. That was the first thought that entered his mind, followed closely by, 'Crap!'

He had nothing to grab, nothing to make his fall slow, and nothing that he could do that would make his landing hurt less. He could try Reinforcing his body, but he would still suffer broken bones if he landed.

He had fallen three floors already, and he estimated he would have five to seven seconds before he landed and went splat on the concrete below.

Thinking of a solution, he came to one that seemed plausible enough to actually work. He raised both of his hands over his head, and Projected two identical swords that he was so used to using. Muttering his aria quickly, they were there in a heartbeat, before he chucked it over his head and towards the building he had fallen from.

With a loud 'Thunk!' two black blades embedded themselves on the sixth floor of the tower. Satisfied that he had thrown them with sufficient power, and that they had embedded themselves deep enough into the tower, he went to the second phase of his plan.

He maneuvered himself so that he was facing the tower, before he raised both of his hands over his head, he focused, and then shouted the two words that he was so used to saying. "Trace On!"

In a flash, two Bakuyas appeared in his hands, he pointed them towards the two Kanshous embedded onto the walls, an act that made him push his hands through the liquid stone that was falling with him, before he felt himself lurch a little bit.

It really wasn't much, just a few inches that moved him. But that was all he needed before he dismissed both Bakuyas and Reinforced his hands and dove for the wall.

He managed to grab hold onto a ledge, but even his Reinforced hands couldn't hold on as there was too much momentum in his fall. The act of grabbing the ledge slowed him for a brief second, before he was forced to let go as he couldn't hold onto it.

He cursed as he felt himself lean back, he hastily Reinforced his back knowing he was close to the ground, and then tried to lean forward, but he didn't have enough time as he felt his back impact onto the ground.

He felt the air rush out of his mouth as well as spit mixed with blood, and even though he had his mouth open, no sound came from it, only the air and a small amount of spit and blood escaped his lips before he felt himself get drenched in liquefied stone. He managed to close his mouth just in time before the liquid could get in his mouth, but after the liquid landed and he was given reprieve, he couldn't help but let out a moan of pain as he felt his back ache as it was on the flat on the floor.

After a few seconds of pain, he tried to sit up, only to be forced back down as his body refused to do the action. Great, it seems he had fractured, if not outright broken, his spine. Hopefully, it was just the former and that there was no lasting damage.

Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to sit up, ignoring the pain that his body was sending him. He was a sitting duck if he just lay there. And he had made it clear to Sugarboy that he didn't approve of what they had done, and that he would stand in their way.

Carefully turning his neck so as not to disturb his back any more, he tried to look around. He noticed that the area he had landed in was clear of any activity, and that he had landed somewhere close to a garden of sorts. He let out a sigh as he saw a bush, just two or three feet away from his position. If he hadn't tried that move with Kanshou and Bakuya, he probably would have landed there instead of the concrete. It wouldn't have helped much really, since if he hadn't done what he did he would have probably suffered lacerations as well as broken bones if he landed on the bush, but hindsight was 20/20 and in hindsight, landing on a bush was better than landing on concrete. He didn't know if it still applied if he was falling from twelve stories up or not, but still…

He turned back forward, before he tried to stand. He ignored the protests his body was telling him, as he really couldn't waste time on just sitting around. Plus, this was a good way of knowing if he had a broken spine, or a fractured spine, and whether or not it had affected anything else on his body.

He placed one foot on the floor, before he placed the other just parallel to it. He then forced himself to stand, carefully at first, and then faster when he began to straighten. He let out a sigh of relief as he managed to stay standing for three seconds, it was a sign that his bones were merely fractured and not outright broken. Still, the pain was uncomfortable, but beggars couldn't be choosers he supposed.

He took a step forward, but was stopped as he heard people talking.

Turning towards the sound, he cursed under his breath as he saw two knights coming towards him. Thankfully, they seemed preoccupied with talking to each other, so they didn't see him. He looked to his left, and then his right, trying to look for a place to hide. He found none. Clucking his tongue, he turned around and away from the knights before he proceeded to do a bastardized version of fast walking. Which involved grunts as well as a liberal use of his legs. It hurt, but it was significantly better than just standing around and waiting to be captured.

Seeing a secluded corner, he turned before he pressed his back as far back into the wall as he could. His back screamed at him to stop it, but he didn't. He couldn't until the two guards had passed him. And hopefully, they did and they didn't turn the corner towards him.

As they neared, he heard them start talking. Their voices were familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he had heard them before.

"This is so annoying." One of the two muttered. "Why do we have to go on guard duty on the people?" The man's voice was rather crude, but he could tell that he didn't mean anything by it. In fact, he sounded more exasperated with the menial labor than outright insulted.

"And this is why chivalry is dead." The other replied, surprisingly, it was a woman's voice that spoke. Her voice annoyed for seemingly having to deal with the other person. "Our code states that we protect the people for the King. It also says we have to listen to anything our superiors tell us without question. If you're complaining about that, then you shouldn't be here in the first place." The woman's voice was rather scornful and derisive, but otherwise, she sounded like she was scolding a child.

"I know that!" The voices were getting closer, so he pressed his back into the wall even more. "The problem is that there's a manhunt going on. What better way to protect the people then by going after the people that put them in danger." He wondered who he was referring to, was it him, or was it the prisoners? It was probably the latter, as he had just been betrayed and most of the knights that had seen him were probably still making their way down the tower.

"You're thinking like the king." The female's voice sounded chiding. Like she didn't like saying that.

"And was what the king did bad?" The male voice asked, his voice was the one mocking this time. "I thought you said we shouldn't question what our superiors did? What happened to your code of ethics?" The man said derisively. He pressed his back deeper into the wall, they were close now. So close that any sound that he made would probably alert them that he was there.

"I never said that I questioned the need for it!" The female responded defensively. It was then he caught sight of them both as they moved passed him and passed the alley he was in. "I just meant that the king's way of doing things... isn't good."

He let out a breath as they both passed the alley and disappeared from his sight. He could still hear their conversation, so he listened in. "So what? With that much Lacrima, it can power our cities for entire centuries! The end always justifies the means, especially if the masses are concerned." He frowned at the logic. It wasn't that he agreed, but the way the knight was thinking was more along the lines of someone that could only see his side and not the other.

"Whatever," The female dismissed. He noticed that their voices were faint now, and that he had to strain his ears a little so he could catch what the female continued to say. "Let's just make sure our job is done so we can get back home. I just want to put this day behind me."

He could hear the male knight say something, but he couldn't quite make it out anymore. He let out another sigh, before he removed his back from the wall and proceeded to hobble back towards the street where the two knights had used. He looked towards the direction to where the two knights had disappeared to, and saw that they were at a respectable enough distance that they wouldn't notice him unless he did something entirely crazy. He also couldn't quite place it, but he was sure he knew those knights from somewhere. And he also felt like he was missing something about them, something that he couldn't quite place. He made to shrug, but stopped as he realized that was a bad idea, before he decided that it mustn't be that important as he would likely remember it immediately.

Turning around, he thought of ways he could escape the city or hopefully find a hiding spot where he could recover. He stopped thinking however, as another knight appeared in his vision, this time, right in front of him. He wondered how he hadn't heard him coming, before he refocused on the situation at hand.

"Sir Emiya?" The knight asked as the knight tilted his visored helm. He knew it was a man, as the voice definitely couldn't be female. He didn't respond aside from grabbing the knight by his hand and then his head, before he pushed the knight's head onto the stone tower right next to him. His body screamed at him, but again, like before, he ignored it as there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Ow, ow, ow!" The knight exclaimed as he pushed his head deeper into the stone wall. "Sir Emiya! It's me! Edward! The knight under Captain Sugarboy's command! The one you helped in the rebuild!"

He blinked at the information. Come to think of it, the voice was familiar to him… Wait, now he got it. The two that had passed him were Ellen and Nero. And he did get the feeling that something was missing when they passed, turns out that was Edward.

Still, he didn't let up. In fact, if anything he pushed the face into the wall even more.

"What are you doing?!" The knight questioned him. He grunted before he carefully pulled him away from the wall, and led him to the alley he had just been in. He pushed the man into it, causing him to stumble a bit, before he caught himself and turned around and leveled him with a glare. He noticed that he was reaching for the blade he had on his side, but he didn't draw it yet.

"I'll have you know Sir Emiya, that assaulting a knight under his majesty's command is considered high treason. I could execute you right here and no one would raise their hand against me." That made sense, but what he said struck a chord with him. He didn't seem to know that he had made enemies with Sugarboy yet. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.

...

...

...

Nah. He was never good with the covert stuff and lying.

Still, that didn't mean he wasn't out of turn there. He had just assaulted someone because he panicked, and the guy didn't even know he was an enemy yet. "Sorry." He apologized sincerely. Edward seemed to relax a little at apology, but still kept his hand close to his sword.

"Care to tell me why you would just attack me out of nowhere?" Edward asked him. He frowned a little. It wasn't really out of nowhere, it was just… his reflexes telling him to move or he would get captured or killed. He wasn't sure who was friend or foe yet, and he didn't need to make any more enemies and make his life here any harder then it already is.

"I'm just on edge." He said without hesitating. That was honestly the truth, he didn't know how to get out of there, nor did he have any idea how to make sure he survived the next few hours. Chances are that Sugarboy had already dispatched a group to make sure he had died. And as much as he liked to think he could have survived that fall without trouble no matter what, he knew that he had been lucky.

Edward nodded his head at him, surprising him at the sincere gesture. "I understand." Edward began. "What with the King implementing Code EDT so soon and all." There it was again, Code EDT. What did that mean?

"What is Code EDT?" He asked the knight. Edward only regarded him with a shake of his head, indicating that he didn't know much about it as well.

"Much of the lesser knights aren't privy to the plan at all. We just know that it involved the dragon cannon and the Exceed. Though to be honest, I never imagined that this would happen." He noticed how Edward's helmed head bowed a little, indicating that he was unsure of what to make of the situation.

"I won't pretend that what the king did was unneeded. In fact, I think that it actually puts ease on us knights." Edward paused, he could sense the melancholy in his voice. "But the blatant use of lives for magic is a violation of basic rights of a living thing. The people inside the Lacrima, they're still alive, they still know what's happening. And they can feel their magic draining as the kingdom uses it all." Edward shook his head. "It's inhumane. In fact, it doesn't even constitute to us treating animals. We hunt and kill an animal, and then harvest what we can from its carcass. We don't capture an animal, and force feed it and take meat from its body slowly, allowing it to heal before repeating the same thing again."

"The King has the best intention for his people." Edward said slowly. "But I think that he is psychopathic. And no matter what, a psychopathic king will turn against his people sooner rather than later." Edward then sighed. "But what he did is for the good of the kingdom. So I can't really fault him. The end justifies the means, especially if the masses are involved."

He digested what Edward told him. If what he had said was true, than the giant Lacrima overhead probably had people in it as well. He remembered something that Lucy had said, about a separate Erza from Knightwalker and how she said she was the counterpart of Lucy Ashley. Could that mean that the people inside that crystal overhead were people from another dimension like him? If that was true, could that also mean he wasn't the only one here from his dimension?

Suddenly the assumption that the Kaleidoscope had sent him here seemed wrong. And maybe... just maybe someone else was here with him.

He still had questions though, like what was that cannon he was talking about? "What's this about a dragon cannon?" He asked the knight. Again, Edward shook his head at him. Causing him to frown.

"Like I said, we lesser knights aren't privy to the information. I only know that the king wishes to use it against the Exceed." Edward shuffled slightly in place. "Though I believe that it already happened."

Yeah, it did. The fact that another giant crystal was in the air right below the first one could attest to that.

He was about to ask another question, about what the king had in mind with the crystals, but a sharp pain stopped him. He flinched as he bent forward like an old man. He groaned as he felt his back in pain. Great, he was still a teenager, and he already had back pains. Fuji-nee would have a field day if she knew that. Probably rub it in his face that she was much more youthful than him and she was close to twenty-something or the other.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked as he moved closer to him. He nodded his head, but the act caused his back to hurt even more. He grunted in pain, before he forced himself to bend on one knee and straighten his body. Surprisingly, this position didn't hurt as much as standing.

Seeing him in pain, Edward nodded his head, before he moved towards his side and bent down to his level. He then grabbed his right arm, and swung it around his neck before he stood. The action caused him to snarl in pain, before he leaned into the knight for support.

"Sorry." Edward apologized. "But you look like hell, I'll escort you to the infirmary for now." He wanted to argue, to tell him to forget about it and just go about his way. But his protests died as Edward took a step forward, causing his back to erupt in pain once more.

He really didn't want this, but he needed help. Avalon could only do so much without Saber, and as much of a deux ex machina it was, the sheath of Excalibur had limits when it was with people other than King Arthur himself.

A brief memory forced itself onto the forefront of his mind. He remembered Rin getting sick and wanting him to implant a Projected version of Avalon inside her. He did as told, only it didn't really work. He had tried explaining to Rin that he was an exception since Avalon had been inside him for so long, and that the magic inside the sheath didn't really work unless it was in someone for extended periods, but she was adamant in getting well as soon as possible.

Needless to say, Rin stayed in bed for the majority of the week. That didn't stop her from straining herself though.

He could feel the sheath already healing him, but it wouldn't really fix fractured bones on a whim. So he had to seek professional help. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any problems such as knights fin-

"Halt!" Jinxed it. He felt Edward turn towards the voice and approaching footsteps, and he could feel the knight's confusion at the order.

He caught sight of a duo of knights approaching, and he could immediately tell they meant business. They had their swords drawn, and the way they moved suggested that they would attack at the first sign of trouble. "You are harboring a traitor to this kingdom. Release him and we will not be forced to take you in with him as well."

He honestly hoped that Edward would defend him, or that he would make an excuse for him to get to the infirmary. But as he turned to the knight beside him, he caught sight of wide eyes through slitted visors looking at him with confusion and incredulity. "You're a fugitive?"

"Err." He began. Unsure of what to make of that statement. To be honest, he hadn't even done anything yet aside from nodding at Sugarboy that he would get in their way. Does that constitute to him being a criminal already? Maybe. What was that law called in his world again? Something something conspiracy something. "Yes?" His answer was more a question than a confirmation.

He groaned in pain as Edward immediately let go of him and drew his sword. Right. Yeah, as much as Edward didn't agree with the King's methods, he was still a knight.

Hopefully, they treated him before he was forced into a cell.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

He let out a sigh as he lay on the bed.

Truthfully, he could make a break for it if he wanted to. He had a good chance of escaping if he continually Projected swords and threw them at his would be chasers. But he didn't really see the point. Sure he would escape, but then he wouldn't get answers. And besides all that, he would still have to deal with the Knight Captains. The first two he had met were trouble, Sugarboy counters anything he could do, while Knightwalker… He sighed.

And even if he did try all that, he still had a sort of sore back. Not the most damaging injury he ever had, but it would hinder his running ability somewhat.

He was still on a bed, because he hadn't been cleared by the Castle Doctor for his injuries. He counted himself lucky that he got to lay down on a bed while under arrest, not many people could say they got the same kind of treatment as he was getting.

He winced a little as he tried to sit up. The doctor had been good on his word that he would help him when he first entered, saying that even if he was a terrorist that wanted to destroy the kingdom, he was still someone injured and a doctor's job was to help those injured.

He wanted to refute the doctor, he wanted to say that he was looking for a way to help people. But before he could have said a word, the doctor shoved something hot down the back of his T-shirt.

He reacted like anyone would when something was shoved down your shirt, whether it was hot or cold. He yelped and tried to remove it. Only the problem with that was he still had an injured back. So when he tried to reach for it, he was greeted with a sharp pain that caused him to yelp even louder than before.

The doctor chided him, telling him to not do anything rash like that again. Before proceeding to shove him into the bed he had been sitting on. On his back.

The heat grew even more intense, but the doctor's warning had told him that moving now would just be detrimental to his help. So he stayed put and endured it as best he could.

That had been four hours ago.

Now he was still in the infirmary, sitting up, looking for the doctor that had treated him. He could feel that whatever that hot thing was that was placed on his back, was now no longer there. The heat was gone, and he couldn't feel anything of note from his back. He wanted to reach for his back to check, but thought better of it in the last second. He didn't really need to re-open – err – re-crack his back.

He looked around the room once more, well, more like a mini-apartment complex if you got down to it. It was just that big, with beds lined up next to each other. He could hear some people a few beds away from him, some were moaning in pain, while some snored happily. He could also make out a few nurses tending to those that were moaning, but then, all of those people were on the opposite side of the room.

Under the pretense of keeping him away from injured soldiers so he couldn't hurt them, he was placed in a bed so far away from the others that he would need to stand and run to them to actually have a chance of talking to them. And that was saying something, the infirmary was just really one giant room that had beds paralleled to one another. Meaning that even if he did run towards the others, he would be spotted immediately.

That was fine though, he had no intention of running just yet. He still had questions he needed answered. And those questions could only be answered in this castle.

He heard distinct footsteps approaching him, the footsteps were rather soft, but they held a certain sound to it that made it seem familia-

"Emiya." Ah, okay. He recognized who it was now. Turning to greet the woman, he was welcomed to the sight of the woman staring down at him with a harsh glare that would have made men cower and piss their pants.

Fortunately, Rin's was much scarier.

He responded by gesturing to the bed right adjacent to his. Knightwalker scowled, but took the invitation to sit down. He watched the Knight Captain as she sat down, before she crossed her legs, a surprisingly feminine action if he thought about it. It was out of character for Knightwalker, but he didn't question it as he just waited for her to say something.

After a few minutes of neither one of them talking. Knightwalker finally decided that she would be the one to break the silence. "Are you really going against us?"

He thought about that. About what her words entailed. What the King had done. It was… it was sickening. He had seen that happen during his Grail War. When he had confronted that fake priest under his church, only to discover that he was a Master all along and was playing everyone like a fiddle.

He remembered some of the kids that had escaped the fire, he had been roommates with them for a brief time after all. Kalen, Ichigo, Nobuyuki, those were just some of the names they had used to introduce themselves when he was admitted into the hospital with them. And though he never really had a bond with them, he had thought they had grown up and were happily living their lives.

Turns out that was far from true. The fake priest had adopted all of them, telling them they would be taken care of in the Church. They were taken care of alright. But the fake priest had taken care of the Golden King first. Using the children as literal batteries for the King.

It was sickening. The children, the people were still alive under that church. They could feel agony, they could feel their life force getting sucked dry by a bastard king with a fake priest. To them, living was literally a fate worse than death.

And now, he was face to face with a similar situation. Only this time, he could actually do something about it.

…After he was healed that is. He sort of missed Avalon now. The sheath's healing powers were a godsend.

He shook his head clear, he had given that sheathe back to Saber. No use regretting about that choice now. And besides, Avalon may have had good healing powers, but it was a literal cheat, people should stay dead when they're killed. Not be brought back to life by powers beyond their own.

…Damn. He felt like such a hypocrite now. Avalon, Rin's necklace, and even… He made a mental note to thank all three of them when he got the chance. Without them, he would be a blood-stain on the ground somewhere.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Knightwalker growled. Reminding him that he hadn't answer her question yet.

He wanted to nod his head, but her question was wrong. So he shook it, and that seemed to make the red-haired beauty blink in confusion at him. "But you told Sugarboy that you would." She reminded him.

He frowned, not because what she said was a lie. But because he did remember doing something like that. Still, it was a heat of the moment thing. And after meeting with Edward, he now knew that he wouldn't be going against them, only one person. The King himself.

"Not against you." He said as he looked into her eyes. Her own amber eyes locked with his amber ones, and he could tell there was confusion as well as apprehension in them. "I'm going against the King."

Immediately, Knightwalker's eyes narrowed. "That is the same as going against me."

He didn't react beyond merely raising an eyebrow. "You would serve a king who would so callously use lives?"

"I serve the king because he is my king." Knightwalker countered. "It matters not if he is a benevolent king or a malevolent one. I swore an oath to him, and I would die first before you will see me break it."

He could tell that she wasn't going to change her mind about this. Not unless there was something that could break the loyalty she had for the king. He wondered why she had this kind of loyalty though. From the story she told him about her father, she has every right to renounce the king and his line. After all, it was his father that had ordered for her father to be executed. Only for Knightwalker's own father to do the deed himself.

"Why are you so devoted to him?" He finally asked. Knightwalker seemed to ponder his question seriously, her eyes closing for awhile before snapping back open and locking eyes with him again.

"Because… I owe a debt." A debt? A debt to who? Her father? The King himself? No, those two answers weren't right. He could tell as much as that.

"And that debt justifies serving a mad king that threatens to destroy his world for his greed for power?" He asked, and he almost regretted it as Knightwalker suddenly stood and glowered at him.

"My king is not greedy!" She defended hotly. He would have flinched, but he still had a sore back to think about. "You know that! You've seen his throne room! You've met him!"

"I did." He nodded his head in agreement. He stared at Knightwalker for a few more seconds, before he shook his head. "But it could be a mask."

Knightwalker narrowed her eyes at him. "How would you know that?"

His answer was simple. "Because you have one too."

His answer seemed to make Knightwalker blink in surprise. She stared at him as if he was insane, before she clucked her tongue and turned around and started walking towards the door in the other end of the room.

"Get in my way, and I will kill you." She declared before she briskly walked away, not leaving him any room to answer. So he just watched her leave, her words still in his mind.

He pondered on why she chose to use the words 'my' and 'I', instead of saying 'our' and 'we'. Her debt… could she be doing it for herself?

**XxX**

"Natsu! I can't hold on anymore!" He looked up at his partner. He panicked a little as he could feel him struggling to keep them afloat, he could actually feel him starting to slip and start descending.

"Don't let go Happy! Just a little bit more!" Lucy shouted in his arms. She had beaten him to the punch, and he could feel himself sweating bullets as Happy started to descend at a more rapid pace. Hang on little buddy! For both our sakes!

"You're too heavy!" Happy shouted as he strained himself. But as his partner said that, he immediately saw an opportunity to help him.

He shook Happy's arms off, prompting his partner to shout in surprise and horror, while Lucy just let out a loud girlish shriek as she felt them start falling.

He couldn't channel his magic, but he could at least try for the building right they were about to pass right below them.

He dove headfirst, if he hadn't done this, they would have missed the building. But thankfully, he had enough presence of mind to actually shift his position so that they fell faster.

He was a genius! In a few seconds, they would land on the roof. Lucy was gripping onto him tightly, but he didn't care. Even if her nails were sharp and were digging into his back, he would let her get harmed. Not when he could help it really.

A few more meters… there! He kicked his feet backwards. Forcing him to shift his body so that it was now parallel with the roof they were about to land on. He then stretched his left leg forward, before it connected with the roof. He made sure to bend it as felt the pressure of landing focused onto his foot, before he rolled forward with Lucy still in his arms.

He rolled once, and then twice, before finally stopping on the third roll. Ha! He managed to survive a fall with a girl in his arms without breaking any bones! Wait until Gray hears abou-

"You idiot!" He felt a sharp pain on the top of his skull as Lucy bonked him hard. "What were you thinking when you jumped like that! We could have died!"

He just stared at her blankly. "But we didn't." He said simply. Why was she so mad about this? They were still alive, that's what he was planning. He just didn't want Happy getting tired.

"That's not-" Before Lucy could have finished her sentence. A blue blur of fur impacted on his chest, and from the sobbing he could hear, he may have scared his partner a little too much.

"Waaah! Natsu! I'm so sorry!" The cat wailed as he clung deeply into his chest. He wasn't bothered that he was using his claws, but still, maybe he shouldn't have done that without telling him first.

He placed a hand on his partner's head, making the blue cat raise his head to him, he could see there were tears streaming down his face. "Sorry about that Happy." He said with a small grin. "I just thought you could use a break is all."

"Natsu…" Happy trailed, and before long, he let out another wail as he buried his face into his chest once more. "Waaah! I'm so sorry! I'm not strong enough!"

He patted his partner on the head. "What are you talking about Happy!?" He asked with a grin. "You're plenty strong! You just have your limits."

"But if I was stronger, you didn't need to jump!" Happy raised his head to him. He just shrugged in reply.

"I would have survived no problem." Of course he would, he was made of tougher material than Lucy. He wouldn't get hurt falling-

""When you have your magic." Lucy suddenly spoke up. They both turned to the blonde, he took note that she had a grim frown on her face.

He couldn't help but mirror her frown. "What are you talking about? Even without magic-"

"Let's say you can survive." Lucy snapped at him. He took a step back in surprise at her seriousness. "Let's say that we both survived without injury. What then? We're being chased by soldiers that can nullify magic, and they have their own magic items. Would we survive then?"

Happy left his chest and was now floating right next to him. "But I would have come and get you!" His partner reasoned.

"And I never said you would." Lucy countered. "It's just that…" She sighed, before she placed a hand on her face. "Listen to me, sounding all defeatists."

He scrunched his eyebrows. "What's a de-feet-tist?" He asked. It sounded like someone that would remove someone's feet. It sounded weird, but Lucy wasn't one. She liked her feet, she buys shoes when she goes shopping. So she couldn't be a de-fee-whatever.

Lucy raised her head and gave him a small smile. "Defeatists." She corrected him. He only tilted his head even more. "It means someone who always thinks they'll lose."

"Oh." He understood the word now. But still… "Then you're not one." He said plainly.

"Wha-?" Lucy seemed surprised at his words. He didn't know why at all.

"You're not one." He repeated before he grinned at her. "Remember what you said to the 'not-Erza'?" He asked, withholding his grimace as he remembered that other Erza. It was… weird seeing a familiar face with a not so familiar attitude.

Lucy tilted her head, and his grin grew wider. "You said you would never betray Fairy Tail. And giving up isn't Fairy Tail would mean you're betraying the way Fairy Tail works."

Lucy's eyes widened a fraction, before they seemed to soften a little, a small smile was now on her face. He liked seeing that smile, it was the smile everyone wore when they were at the guild. He liked seeing it on Erza, on Mira, heck, even that stripper Gray.

"Thanks Nat- Why are you shivering?" Lucy had begun, but he had missed the last part as he shivered. Did he just say he liked seeing _Gray_ smile? What the hell was wrong with him?!

"Guys!" He was thankfully stopped from thinking weirder thoughts as Wendy suddenly descended on the roof right next to them. Carla letting her go allowing the small girl to run in between them. "Is everything alright? I saw Natsu fall so…"

"Everything's fine Wendy." He said dismissively as he waved his hands. "Natsu was just tired so he let go."

"You let them go?" Carla asked Happy, he could see her thin eyebrows raising in question. Happy only responded by shouting.

"What no!" He denied. "Natsu jumped! Tell her Natsu! You jumped!" He smiled a little at the sudden about face of Happy. Just a minute ago, he was bawling on his chest crying that he had let go, now he was blaming him for jumping.

He didn't understand, but it was probably because Happy likes Carla… yup. He didn't understand in the slightest.

"Relax guys," He said with a smile as he raised both hands behind his head and leaned back a little. "We're all goo-" He stopped as he got a whiff of something. It was… familiar.

He turned to his left, and suddenly, a bright flash of light suddenly erupted. He heard Lucy shout in alarm, while he saw Wendy from his peripheral vision look with wide-eyes at the source of the light. Happy only looked confusedly at the light, and he couldn't see Carla.

Finally, the light died down after a few seconds. He smiled as he caught sight of who had arrived. "Hey Mystogan." He said. He knew who it was, he knew his scent from the guild after all, even if he was asleep for most of his visits, he had made sure he knew what everyone smelt like.

"Natsu, Wendy, Lucy." The robed mage stepped forward and off the runes that had been engraved by his teleportation magic. He then glanced at the two cats that were side by side, before he nodded his head. "Happy, Carla. I'm glad I found you guys together."

"H-H-How did you do that?!" Lucy shouted. He turned towards her, and raised an eyebrow.

"He teleported. Duh. C'mon Lucy, you're a little slow." He said. He was rewarded by her shouting at him.

"That's the last thing I wanna hear from you!" He pouted. He wasn't slow! He just didn't pay attention to things.

"While I find both of your fighting cute," They both turned to Mystogan, he could just imagine him smirking underneath that hood of his. Though, it made him mad since he looked so much like Jellal. "There isn't much time. If all of you can step inside the rune, you'll be on our way."

"On our way where?" Lucy asked, Mystogan however, only shook his head.

"I'm sorry, we do not have the time. Please, step in now." He insisted. He looked at Lucy, and then at Wendy, and then the two cats, before he shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the rune that Mystogan had come from. He noticed Wendy had done the same, and was now right next to him. Carla and Happy soon followed, the only one that didn't seem keen on entering the rune was Lucy.

"I don't know…" She began, he frowned.

"Come on Lucy." He said, making his team member look up at him. "Mystogan's a part of Fairy Tail. He won't lead us to die."

"I never said that…" Lucy countered weakly. He just smiled at her before he turned to Mystogan.

"So, where exactly are we going?" He asked the robed mage. Mystogan stared at him through his cloak, before he sighed. He then removed his hood, revealing the one face that pissed him off more than Gray. He had to remind himself that this man wasn't the same man, that he was different. He was probably the Edolas counterpart of him, and that was why he was so much nicer.

"Jellal!" Lucy shouted, jumping back in surprise. She moved to grab one of her keys, but Mystogan raised a hand to stop her from doing anything else.

"You're not wrong," He began. He frowned, so he was the really Jellal? Then why use the name Mystogan? "But you're not right either."

That threw him for a loop, which one was it. He could feel his annoyance rising as he pondered on the question, and voiced his opinion. "Which one is it damn it?!" He cursed a little.

Mystogan turned to face him, a small smile on his face. He really wanted to punch that face again, but he knew it would be bad. So instead, he just looked away and thought of something else… like fish. That calmed him down somewhat.

"I'm Jellal, but I'm not the Jellal you know." He said, before he turned back to Lucy. "Now, please, get in the runic circle. It will activate any second now. Don't worry, it will lead you to Erza and Gray."

That made him turn towards him again. "They're here?" He asked, honestly surprised at that piece of information.

Mystogan turned back to him and nodded his head. "Yes, now hurry." He gestured for Lucy to get into the circle, and she relented with a sigh.

"Alright." She said with a nod. "But you better be truthful, or I'll have to sic Natsu on you. He's like a bloodhound." He jerked his head towards Lucy, annoyed she had used that comparison.

"Oi! I'm not a bloodhound! I'm a Salamander, a dragon!" He protested. But that only earned a giggle from Lucy. He pouted before he looked away from the blonde.

"Alright," Mystogan began. "Now hold tight, this will be lik-"

"Jellal." He turned towards the voice. It was Wendy's, and as he got a look at her, he noticed that she had tears in her eyes. "Are you leaving again?"

He turned towards Mystogan, mentally trying to send him a message that if he let those tears fall, there would be blood. He didn't seem to notice though, as he only bent down to Wendy's level and nodded his head.

"Sorry Wendy," He apologized. "But you'll have to keep going with the others and yourself for now. I promise I'll see you again, so don't worry."

Wendy just stared at Mystogan, before she wiped her eyes and smiled at him. The smile was infectious as he felt his own tugging on his lips. Wendy then nodded at Mystogan, before saying. "Alright, you've kept your promises with me. So I'll wait for you okay?"

Mystogan smiled, before he nodded his head. He then stood up and walked back a few paces facing them. He felt something off about the way he was moving, but couldn't quite place it.

"You're not coming are you?" Lucy suddenly asked, he turned towards her, and finally understood just what was off. He turned towards Mystogan, only to see him nod.

"I'm afraid I can't. I still have things to do here." He said. He wanted to argue, but before he could even utter a word, he could feel the world start shak-

"Cr-crap." He felt his motion sickness taking place. He was aware that Mystogan was saying something, but he was too busy trying to hold down his vomit. Why was there no warning damn it!

"Erk," He muttered as he rose in the air and a blinding light flashed. Too bad he was too busy blacking out to get blinded by it. And there was also the fact that this ride was ten times more painful than a train.

His last thoughts before he felt consciousness fade was 'Damn you Mystogan!'

**XxX**

He could escape. He felt the jelly like substance in his hands, and he could feel they weren't doing anything to him.

He was aware it was supposed to suck magical energy from a person, but for some reason, it just didn't work on him. He didn't know why, and he didn't want to question it. But at the moment, he could force it off, before he proceeded to do a jailbreak with his Projections.

Too bad he was being heavily guarded.

"Geez, to think you were an anarchist." A familiar voice said from his side.

Make that guarded.

"And you seemed like the chivalrous sort of person. I cannot abide by your words."

Make that lightly guarded by three people.

"Don't be so quick to judge. He survived a twelve story fall with only a cracked spine. And even then, it didn't do any lasting damage."

Now it was back to being heavily guarded. Great, he liked the atmosphere before Edward had said all those things. It was more… familiar. With the bickering and the disappointment.

…That said a lot about his situation back home really.

He looked up at the three people right across from him, looking him over from their positions as he sat on the floor with his back against the wall. Thankfully, his hands were the only thing they bounded, but still, sitting with his back on the stone wall hurt a little. His injury was still there, but it had lessened significantly, traces of Avalon's magic doing its job and whatever the doctor had done on his back had worked well.

He knew that these three were here to deter him from trying to escape, and it honestly made him mad that Sugarboy was using them as detriments for him. It was like he didn't even care about them. But then he remembered that he knew their names by heart, and even knew that they liked to bicker amongst each other. So maybe they were there to keep him company? Probably?

He didn't know.

"You seemed a nice enough guy." He looked up at the one who spoke, it was the other man. Nero. "I had honestly believed you wanted to help people. But you're just another anarchist ey?" He then shrugged, his lighter armor's shoulders rolling smoothly and without a sound as he did so. "But then again, you do look like a clown. That was probably your job before you got here am I right?"

He couldn't take it anymore. "Why do people keep calling me a clown?!" He shouted, annoyed at being a clown so many times.

The woman among them turned to him and tilted her visored head. The act would have probably looked cute and slightly surprising, had it not been for the helmet. Instead, it looked fearsome and threatening.

"You look like a clown because of the clothes you wear." She stated before she pointed her spear at him. For a second, he thought about breaking free and trying to fight his way out, but he held back. She was probably just gesturing to his aforementioned clothes.

"What's wrong about it?" He asked with a grimace. He wasn't normally so self-conscious, but after getting called a clown so many times, he couldn't help but think he was wearing something really weird.

"I don't know whether you are telling the truth, or you are lying to us." The woman's voice was flat, he could hear it even from thought it was slightly warped by her helmet. "You wear blue and white, that is how clowns dress."

…That's it? He was called a clown because his clothes were blue and white? Just… really?

Before he could catch a headache, he decided to change the subject. "Why are you guys doing this?" He asked them. They all turned to him; he could see the confusion from them even though they were all wearing helmets.

"Why are you still serving a king that would use lives so callously? If it's about an oath, then the King has broken it by harming inno-"

"It is not about any oath." Edward interrupted him. His voice was different now, instead of the previous lackadaisical sounding voice, he sounded determined, like he had steel in his voice. "If it was about the oath, we would have stormed into the king's throne room and murdered him right then and there."

He was surprised at the admission. He was about to say something, but Ellen interrupted him before he could. "It is not about the oath we gave. But more of the oath we gave to the people."

"Oath to the people?" He wasn't aware that knight's took an oath like that. They only swore to their king, and nothing more. So what was this about an oath to the people?

"We were born in the Slums." He turned to Nero. He only silently sat as he waited for him to continue. He could sense he was reminiscing. "We didn't have parents because of the war, and we had to live in an orphanage."

"Too bad the orphanage had to close down." He swung his head towards Edward again. His voice was sorrowful now, and he could tell it was taking a lot out of him talking about this. "It had to close down because there simply wasn't enough magic to sustain it."

He wanted to say why close down an orphanage and not something else, but Ellen spoke up, interrupting him again. "It wasn't just the orphanage though; the entire block had to be closed down because the kingdom couldn't sustain the magic it needed to power our block." Ellen dropped her spear and put its butt down on the ground.

"So we had to learn to fend for ourselves." She continued. "We weren't lucky enough to be born in the capital, so there weren't any markets that we could steal from. Instead, our town, the Slums, were in the outskirts of the kingdom. Near the edge of the island, with a forest that separated it from the rest of the other parts of the kingdom." So the Slums was a city? That… told a lot about the status of that city if it was called the Slums.

"But we weren't alone." It was Nero speaking this time. "We had all our friends from the orphanage!" His voice was cheery, but he could tell it was forced beyond belief.

"Yeah," He caught sight of Edward nodding his head as if remembering fond memories. "They were great friends."

"Too bad they died." Yeah, he saw that coming. He turned back towards Ellen. "They died because we couldn't feed them all. They died because there wasn't enough food; there wasn't enough power to heat their bodies in the cold nights, not enough clean water to quench everyone."

"We wanted to save them." He could hear the sheer despair in Edward's voice. He could imagine tears streaming down his face, even though it was hidden by his visored helmet. "We wanted to give them our food, our clothes, our water. But we simply couldn't." He paused. "We couldn't, because we had to survive too."

He… empathized with their words. Their situation. He could, because it had happened to him too. In that fire, with people dying left and right. Helping each other out of rubble, out of the fire, out of danger, only for all of them to die sooner than later. Yes, he knew what they were feeling, and he could understand completely.

"And that's not the worst part." He turned towards Nero, surprised that there was more. "The worst part was when desperation kicked in."

Oh.

"We had to beat them to stop them from getting our food, whatever scraps we managed to scrounge up from the forest or the streets." He continued to explain. "And when they refused to give up, we had to make it… permanent."

He sighed. Yeah, that was one of the worst things that could happen. He remembered the fire, of a friend freeing a friend, only for the one that was freeing the other to get trapped and asking for help. The one that was freed ignored the plea for help and ran, leaving the other to curse at his back until he was silenced by the fire or the rubble.

There were other situations like these, and these were memories he never wanted to remember. He knew the trio in front of him must be feeling the same as he did.

"We had to live with one eye open, we couldn't trust anybody, even if they were our friends, heck, we didn't trust each other until after-"

"Nero." Edward suddenly interrupted, making the lean man shut his mouth before he raised his hand in surrender.

"Hey, it happened, no use trying to forget about it." Nero said dismissively. Edward however, only shook his head.

"It's not our story to tell." He then gestured with his head towards Ellen. He turned his head towards the woman, only to see her gripping her spear tighter than usual, it was actually shaking in her grip.

For a few seconds, no one spoke. Nero had just shrugged his shoulders, before he leaned back into the wall. Seemingly not caring that Ellen looked ready to attack someone. Finally Ellen spoke.

"When food and morale was low, people had to find another way of keeping their mind off the bad." She spoke lowly, her voice simmering with anger. He was confused as to what she meant by that, until she spoke up again. "They say when you orgasm, your body releases a chemical that matches ecstasy or even surpasses it."

He frowned at the implications of her words. Was she really…?

"Fortunately, before anyone could do anything, these two idiots came rushing in." She gestured to Edward and then Nero. "Too bad they only managed to get themselves beat silly."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked, though there was a hint of teasing in his voice. It just showed how close the three were if they could joke about this kind of thing to each other. "Last I recalled, they got tired and couldn't continue their deed and left us there. We saved your hide."

"Plus," Nero's voice was teasing as well. He then moved towards Ellen and swung his arm around her shoulder. "You were so thankful to us that you nursed us back to health and even cried as you thank- Whoa!" He had to dodge as Ellen swung her spear at him. His light armor enabled him to duck under the spear, before he pointed a finger at the female knight. "Watch where you point that thing damn it! That coulda taken off my arm!"

"Too bad it didn't." Was Ellen's cold reply. He watched the three in front of him with a small smile on his face. Honestly, he knew what they were going through right now. He had the same relationship with the people he had fought with in the Grail War. They rarely spoke of it, but when they did, they would always find a way to laugh it off. It was the only real way to deal with the horrors they were shown during the Grail War. Though there were some things better off left unsaid, that didn't mean they wouldn't bring it up now and then.

"Long story short," Edward sighed before he reached for his helmet and took it off, revealing his slightly roguish face to him. "We're doing this so that no one has to go through what we went through."

His smile faded.

"By destroying others lives in the process?" He asked. Edward just shook his head. He noticed the two had stopped bickering and were now staring at him.

"By making sure that the kingdom has enough magic to live with. Even the bare minimum is enough to us. Because even then, even if there is only a warm room with a warm meal and a bed, it's enough to keep someone, anyone alive." Edward explained.

He hated how that made sense to him. He hated how he wanted to actually help them with their dilemma. Still, what they were doing is fighting for one side. For who they think was right, never caring for the others. That… that was just like Him.

The man clad in red, the man that had ridiculed him for his ideals, the man that had inspired him to keep moving forward, and the man he chose to never become.

"There are other ways-"

"Then tell us what those ways are." Edward demanded, his voice strained. He was slightly taken aback by the sheer force and emotion in it, but as he looked at the knight, he could see he was clinching his teeth in frustration. It was obvious he was struggling with this as well as he did, if not more. "Tell us what we can do that will not let magic run out. Magic is our livelihood, it powers our lights, our water pumps, our very lives. Tell us how we can replenish magic, without resorting to using others' own?"

He had no answer to that. What he was asking was impossible. From what he knew about Prana, it was in everything. Without prana, there would be life. At least, that was what Kiritsugu had taught him. What he wouldn't give for Rin to be here with him really. She was the only one that came to mind that could possibly help the people here. Her transfer of power might help, but she wasn't here, so it was all a moot point.

Edward sighed, before he placed his helmet back on his head. "Of course you have nothing." He said resignedly. "Even our king has nothing."

Needless to say, he didn't say anything else for the next few hours. He just continued to think, trying to figure out a way to get people without latent circuits or even a way to channel prana a way to use magic without others.

**XxX**

He had waited until night to move.

It was an easy enough affair to hide. He had a few staves in his person to turn himself invisible. Well, not invisible per se, but to bend the light around him so that he would be overlooked. Too bad he couldn't move, the magic the staves had prevented it from being moved lest the 'blanket' of space be interrupted and broken.

The hiding was easy; the hard part was the waiting.

When he had teleported next to Natsu and company, it had been a spur of the moment decision. Why? Because he had seen them flying. They – meaning him with Erza, Gray, and Gajeel – had been in the outskirts of the town when they bore witness to an entire army of Exceed coming down onto the capital. At first, he thought they were invading, but then the laser happened, and that promptly went out the window.

He never thought his father would go through with his insane plan, but the proof was right in front of him, in the form of a giant lacrima made of Exceed magic. The trio he was with looked on, horrified and confused at the sudden change, but he didn't let it get to him much. If his plan worked, they would be saved.

He wondered what the Exceed were doing, but Gajeel suddenly pointed out that he smelled Natsu and Wendy close by. He had then looked towards the capital, and he seen the five flying in the air. He then saw Natsu fall towards a building with Lucy in his arms. It was then he made a move to get to them before they went somewhere else.

Telling the trio he was with that he would return and that they should lay low and wait for him, he used one of his staves. The staff he had used was a one use trinket. It held a powerful magic that he had replicated from the teleporters he had been accustomed to when he had been in the castle, only instead of a locked place where the teleporter will be transported to, the staff would create a gate that would enable travel from where he had used it, to somewhere within fifty miles of its initial location.

He had used it, and then talked with the group of Natsu, before he transported them back to where Erza, Gray, and Gajeel were. He had already given the excess pills he had to Erza, so that Natsu and Wendy could get their magic back.

He had also meant to warm them that the transport would feel ten times jitterier than a train, but he had been interrupted before he could. He could just imagine Natsu cursing him as he was transported.

Still, that had been one part of his impromptu plan. The next part had him looking for the person Gajeel had fought, and Erza had seen. Whoever this person was, he wasn't anyone he knew. So he had to get a closer look, to determine whether or not the person would be trouble. Which with the best of luck, he wouldn't. He would need to conserve his energy if his father planned to use the dragon chain cannon for what he thought he would.

He had descended the building to the streets, before he blended in with the crowd. When he was near the palace, he slipped from the crowd and made his way towards it. Thankfully, no one had spotted him. He then chose a hallway frequented by guards and the like, before he used his staff to hide.

It was risky yes, but this was the easiest way to get information. He knew he was just transparent, and that he could still be heard, so he kept as still and as quiet as possible. Only taking a breath once every ten seconds, it was a tiring event, but it was fruitful.

One thing he remembered from the guards in the palace was that they were chatty. They liked to talk to get rid of their boredom. And thankfully, a duo passed him by with interesting information. That they had caught the clown and he was going to be sent to the dungeons after being nursed in the infirmary.

Gajeel had said that he looked like a clown, and that he was fighting him and had injured him. So he had assumed that whoever this clown person was, was a Knight Captain that was recently promoted. But if he was getting sent to the dungeons that meant that there was more than meets the eye with the situation.

It was then he had released the spell, and made his way over towards the dungeon tower. He looked up, remembering it was as tall as he had remembered it to be, before he cloaked himself in a faraway corner where no one would walk by.

Soon enough, night fell, and now he was moving. Hopefully, he wouldn't meet any resistance. He would have to search each individual floor, and as inefficient as that was, he didn't really have a choice on the matter. The files which told him where a prisoner was held was in a room with upwards up to ten guards guarding it. And even though he was confident he could take them all down, that didn't mean he was confident he was good enough to stop even one of them from triggering the alarm.

So going through each floor may be harder, but it was also the surer path. And because it was so deep in the night, he doubted any Knight Captain would still be awake and would be here of all places.

As he climbed each individual floor and searched through them, he wondered if he really was there in the first place. He had gone through five floors already, but all he really saw were empty cells and some old prisoners. Still, he had to see whoever this person was. If he could injure Gajeel to that extent, then no doubt he would be either a powerful ally, or a dreadful enemy.

He climbed seven more floors, taking note that the twelfth floor had a room that was open and had a giant hole on it, and each one of them was a bust. It wasn't until he got to the thirteenth (fourteenth if you were particularly suppositious) that he encountered a guard. Which was strange, since the first twelve floors had no guards whatsoever, so that meant that whatever or whoever was on this floor, was someone they didn't want escaping and had warranted such heavy security.

He went through his options, he could strong-arm his way forward, knocking out each guard until he got to the cell he wanted to get to, or he could try and sneak past the guards. Which would have been harder, but yielded results which would prevent the alarm from sounding.

He went with his gut, and went with the second option.

If Natsu or Gajeel had been here, no doubt they would have forced their way forward, not caring at all about the consequences of their actions. Luckily, he wasn't either of them and he knew that stealth was needed to get what he needed without problems.

He watched the guard in the hallway, and noted that he went from one end to the other. Not factoring in human boredom and inconsistency, he would have fifteen seconds free before he would have to take cover behind a corner, or inside an empty cell. Still, that only applied to one hallway, the second hallway on the floor lead to a third one, giving the entire floor an 'H' formation if looked overhead. He knew this, because that had been the case with the last twelve floors he had searched through. That meant that he would have to guess where the second guard in the middle hallway would be.

He was about to just wing it, when suddenly the guard he was watching suddenly stopped in the middle, and turned to his right. He appeared to be talking to someone. He laughed, before he then proceeded on his way.

That was perfect. Now he had information on where the guard was.

Taking into account that the guard that was in the middle hallway was walking in the same pace as the guard in the hallway in front of him, he estimated that he had fourteen to sixteen seconds before the guard in the middle hallway would have to turn around again and go the opposite direction.

Which meant that the guard in this hallway, which took fifteen seconds to turn, and seven seconds to get to the middle, would meet the guy in the middle hallway in the seventh second. He would make his move then.

He waited for the guard in the first hallway to turn, and counted down. Five… six… seven!

He moved swiftly and quietly. Which was hard as he was crouched down and he needed to move faster than the pace of the first guard. Thankfully, he managed to get to the corner before the last two seconds. He then turned towards the hallway, and noted that the second guard was now past the halfway mark.

Moving quickly, he moved forward and a quarter of the way to the third hallway; he opened a cell and entered inside it and closed the door behind him.

Sighing a little, he turned around and checked the cell. It was empty, which was fine, the last thing he needed was another prisoner asking him to free them.

He then turned towards the door, and patiently counted, at the eight second; he opened it slightly, and nearly froze as he was looking into the eyes of the guard that he thought had already passed him.

He moved swiftly, and before the guard could let out a shout, he had grabbed him and pulled him inside the cell. He then turned towards the guard, and took out a staff before he pointed it at him.

In a second, a magic circle appeared on top of the staff and out came a string of purple magic that surrounded the man. The man struggled to get it off, but soon all his fight left him as he suddenly collapsed with a dull thud.

He put away his staff, before he poked his head through the door and looked both ways. Thankfully, there was no one coming, which meant no one had heard a thing. Still, that didn't mean he was in the clear. If there was no guard in this hall, then the guards on this floor would see something suspicious and investigate.

He looked at the guard that was unconscious on the floor. An idea formed in his head, with the only question being 'What size are his shoes'?

He had to move quickly though, so he only discarded his outer robes and his satchel of magical staves. He knew how to take off the armor, and quickly went about in doing so. In fifteen seconds, the man was covered with his robes, asleep, with his staves right next to him. He then quickly made to put on the armor, which wasted another twenty or so seconds, before he grabbed the man's sword and strapped it on his hip. The armor was a little tight, but that was because he had thick clothes underneath. He could live with it for now.

He stepped out into the hallway again, before he stepped out and continued down the hall. It seems the first guard hadn't noticed a thing. He wondered if he was going to be this lucky for the rest of the night.

When he reached the end of the hall, on the intersection of the second hallway and the third hallway, he looked both ways. As he suspected, one of the cells had two guards just outside it. That was the place he needed to get to.

Hopefully, he got there without too much trouble. Moving down the third hallway towards the room, he stopped in front of the two guards that were in front of the cell.

"What are you doing here?" One of them asked, his voice gruff.

He honestly considered answering, but he didn't know what the voice of the guy he had knocked out sounded like. So he chose the next best option of answering.

By attacking.

In a swift move, he drew the sword and smashed the pommel of it onto the helmet of the guard that talked to him. He crumpled on the floor, unconscious.

The second guard was shocked, and was about to pull out his own sword, but he was faster and had used the switch in his own sword to activate the innate magic in it. Immediately, the sword sparked, and it ignited in fire. He then slashed at the second guard, making sure that he only grazed the midsection of the man.

The guard curled into himself, the slash hadn't done damage, but his move wasn't really strange, he was dodging a blow that had already struck after all. He then stopped the magic in the sword, and then smashed the pommel onto the second guard's helmet, he crumpled onto the floor much like the first guard had.

It was over in less than five seconds, and at the end of it, he let out a sigh. Having helmets was all good, but if you hit it hard enough, then it could be turned against you.

He bent down and grabbed the key from the first guard's hip and placed it inside the lock. He twisted it, and he heard the tumblers aligning and opening the door. With one final breath, he opened the door.

Only to be met face to face with an entire wall of swords, all pointed at him. Suddenly, all his luck seemed to vanish out the window.

**XxX**

**I do not do stealth scenes. I like doing stealth missions in games, but I do not like writing them. Hopefully though, this was good enough to be enjoyable.  
**

**Okay, I want to address something here. Since this chapter will see the rise of the fanboys. Shirou, he's not a Servant. He can fight and probably kill Servants, but that doesn't mean he's as tough as them. He's still just a human magic-user. And that doesn't mean he'll be able to walk away from landing on his back falling twelve stories unscathed.**

**I know Shirou's limits. I know what he can and can't do. And I know what Avalon can do. Problem is, he doesn't have Avalon here. Sure the effects of Avalon are still with him thanks to his Blade Works copying it ala sword stitches, but that doesn't mean he'll recover instantly. If anything, his Blade Works only goes to work on the fleshy parts, and now the bony parts. I mean, can you just imagine swords stitching up your bones? Yeah, no.**

**So before anyone gets on my case, I preempted you by writing this author's note. Of course, I can be wrong, if I am. Please point it out in a **_**polite and respectful**_** manner. Don't just go "You're an idiot, Shirou can…" Or "Wow, you don't even know what you're talking about. It's like you're an *insert insult here*"**

**Remember, I can fix my writing. But people can't fix their attitude at the drop of a hat. Assholes can stay as assholes, but seriously, that's the problem with people. They refuse to stop being assholes, either because they like being assholes, or they just don't bother learning empathy and being nice. And that in itself, is what's wrong with the world.**

**Expanding on a world that wasn't expanded upon. Hopefully, I didn't go overboard and it still feels the same. Though with that little thing with Ellen... I don't know. Give me your thoughts on that will you guys?  
**

**That's it really, but yeah. Killing is just a step down from raping, so I don't really think I went too dark here. Especially since Knightwalker... is seriously sadistic in the anime and manga. Seriously? Holding someone out of a building and just dropping them? And also, the King sucking out magic from living things? Yeah, not that dark.**

**And yes, I think raping is much less dastardly than killing. Why? Because you can still recover from getting raped, recovering when you're killed however...**

**I'm done ranting. And remember, when you review, make sure it's about the chapter itself and not the damn Author's notes. If you really want to react to my author's notes, Private Messaging works well.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	7. Desperation and Distractions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**And because I'm so lazy to write in the two lawyers, they're on leave. Unpaid of course.**

**Okay, last chapter for AMT, before I go to back to F:Z/N. Why am I doing this? Because I can, and because I'm inspired to write more about AMT.**

**There's a rant at the bottom, just a warning.**

**XxX**

He wasn't really a light sleeper, but with the sound that came from outside his door, even the heaviest of sleepers would wake up.

The sound of metal hitting metal, and the sound of someone falling over and grunting, twice. That was what he had heard from outside the door. He reacted as quickly as he could, and muttered his aria. "Trace On."

His circuits flared, and he immediately called for the most basic swords that he could Trace without trouble. They appeared in front of him, and he maneuvered them to face the door. And as soon as the last sword materialized, the door to his cell began opening slowly.

He was met with the sight of a guard with armor that looked a little too small for him, looking up at his swords. He couldn't quite make out the guard's eyes, even if the helmet the person was wearing was visored, it was still dark, and so he really couldn't make out what his reaction was.

"Who are you?" He questioned coldly. He noticed the guard, despite his obvious apprehensiveness with the swords, entered the room and shut the door behind him. He narrowed his eyes, before he made to slowly approach the guard.

The guard took a look at the swords, before they turned their eyes towards him. "How are you doing that with magic draining cuffs?"

He blinked in surprise at the question, before he frowned. "Don't change the subject." He warned, before he sent a sword coming towards the guard. The guard raised his hand in defense, but it was unneeded as the sword wasn't aimed for the guard at all.

With a loud 'Snickt!' the sword embedded itself in the wall up to the hilt. He narrowed his eyes before he gestured for more of his swords to ready themselves. It was a bit hard, as his hands were still restricted, but he could still control it to some extent with his mind.

The guard seemed surprised at this. "You can use Re-quip magic with telekinesis?" He blinked again, what did he mean by that? He was using Projection, he was no telekinetic, heck, he wasn't even a psychic for that matter. And what's this about Re-quip magic?

Wait a minute; he was changing the subject again.

He glared at the guard, and the guard raised his hand defensively. "I won't change the subject again. I was merely curious as to how you could use magic with magic restraining cuffs. And your magic simply reminded me of someone else's." He doubted that really. His magic may seem like Projection, but it was much more than that. Tracing wasn't something that most people could do, simply because of the sheer concentration needed to do it.

Plus his World couldn't be recreated on a whim… unless Gaia was involved.

"May I ask your-" The guard began, but he cut him off by narrowing his eyes.

"You first." He ordered. He wasn't at liberty to introduce himself to someone that obviously wasn't a regular guard. And this one had an agenda that probably involved him if he sought him out inside his own cell.

The guard nodded his head, consenting to his request. "Fair enough." He bowed his head before he reached for his helm, he kept his swords ready, just in case he tried something. It was unneeded though as the man just took off his helmet revealing a head of blue hair with a youthful face with an intricate tattoo on the right side of his face.

"My name is Mystogan." Another strange name. He watched Mystogan put the helmet down on the floor, before he sat down on the same floor. He then gestured for him to do the same. "I just want to talk. There's no need to be so suspicious of me."

He was still skeptical. He gestured for the sword on his side, which was just another copy of the same flaming sword he had seen during the rebuild of the village. Mystogan however, only shook his head at him.

"Forgive me, but I may need this in case of anything happening. I wouldn't want to be caught empty handed in case guards came in here. And I doubt you'd help me if they captured me."

He was wrong, but he didn't correct him. He would have helped him, that was just who he was, and also because they would probably think he was going to break out no matter how much he would deny it. Still, he didn't want to sit in front of the man, where he could draw his sword and behead him if he was fast enough. So instead of walking towards him, he sat down where he was, letting the swords he had projected dissipate, save for two.

"Then you'll allow me the same courtesy. I don't trust you." He said bluntly. Mystogan only chuckled at his words.

"Yes, I can imagine how suspicious I might look, entering your cell wearing a guard's armor that is a size too small, wanting to talk to you." Well, at least the man seemed sensible enough.

For a few seconds, they didn't speak. They only stared at each other. It was Mystogan that broke this silence. "You still haven't introduced yourself."

"Emiya. Shirou Emiya." He said quietly. Mystogan hummed in response, before another silence descended upon them both.

Mystogan's eyes staring at him, and he squirmed a little. He didn't mind the silence, but there were just some things that were awkward if you kept quiet long enough. This being one of them.

"Just who are you really?" Mystogan suddenly asked. He looked up at him, before he frowned.

"I'm Shirou-"

"Not that." He interrupted him. "I've never seen you before, and you managed to hurt Gajeel without him doing much to you." He stiffened a little at the name. He remembered the iron man with piercings on his face. The man had honestly caused him trouble when they were fighting, and he had to search within his World for the best weapon to actually injure him since Kanshou and Bakuya couldn't even scratch his skin.

"Add to the fact that you can use magic like people in Earthland can, you're obviously not from Edolas." Earthland? Was that another dimension? He didn't know of that one, he only knew of Edolas, and his own. So did those prisoners before come from this place called Earthland? Did Gajeel and that armored Erza that came from the crystal come from there too?

"So I have to ask. Just who are you and what are you doing here?" Mystogan asked him again. And if he was completely honest with himself, he didn't know how to answer those questions.

He thought he was brought here by the prankster of a man Kaleidoscope. But with recent revelations of how the King of Edolas used people from another dimension to power his kingdom, it could be entirely possible that he had been brought here by the King and not the crazy old Kaleidoscope.

And if the former were correct, could that also mean that there was someone else from his World here with him? Possibly someone he knew? If that was the case, were they free like him, or were they inside that crystal over the capital? So many questions that needed answering, and he had no idea how to start finding the answers.

"I honestly have no idea." He amended. "I don't come from this dimension, and if I'm right, then I'm probably not from this 'Earthland' either." He crossed his arms over his chest before he closed his eyes. "I come from a place called Earth, or Gaia, depending on who you ask. And ever since I came here, I was under the assumption that my friend's teacher had played a prank on me and sent me here." He sighed as he uncrossed his arms and raised his right hand to his hair and pushed his hand through it. "But with recent information, I could be entirely wrong and that King could have brought me here."

Mystogan hummed as he seemed to digest his information. "Tell me, do the people from your dimension stand out as much as you do?" He was confused by the question, but he shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"I don't know how to answer that honestly." Rin was more on the opulent side of things, certainly her beauty would stand out, but she was just as beautiful as her sister. Sakura was more held back, more conservative in her appearance and dressing, but like with Rin, she was beautiful in her own right. Bazette… was Bazette. Caren was simply a nun. But from the look of things in this world, they would all stand out if they wore their regular clothes. Especially Caren and Bazette.

Wait a minute… he felt Mystogan was implying something there.

He let it go however. Now wasn't the time to get mad on the simple things. "Probably." That was the closest answer he could give about the matter.

A question suddenly popped into his mind. Could regular people have been dragged into this mess? Could people that couldn't use magic be summoned as well? And if they did, and the Kingdom of Edolas found them, would they just kill them because they weren't any of use?

He shook his head, more questions. He didn't need more questions, he needed answers. He guessed it was his turn to ask the question this time. Even though they never agreed to answer the other's question.

"What do you know of the king's plans?" He asked. Which seemed to surprise Mystogan as he looked at him with slightly wide eyes.

"You mean you know?" He asked him. He only shook his head.

"I know that the King has a plan for a dragon cannon and the crystal above the kingdom. But I have no idea what he plans to do with those two. I also know that he's using the crystal to generate power for the entire kingdom, which I plan to stop." He explained.

Mystogan's eyes widened at hearing his plans. "You plan to take on the entire kingdom?" Mystogan asked, his voice holding a tone of incredulity in it.

He frowned. "Not against the kingdom." He began. "Against the king. What he's doing, sucking magic from living people, it isn't good. What happens when the magic runs out? Would they keep taking people from other dimensions to make sure they survive?" He felt his anger broiling as he said those words. But he kept his anger in check. It won't do anyone good if he just lost it here.

"What if that's the only way they can do things?" Mystogan suddenly asked. He frowned. "What if they can't do anything else, because that's the only answer?"

"Then I'll make another answer." He said hastily, but he didn't regret it. "I'll save everyone I can. That's the only answer I'm sure of."

Mystogan stared at him for a few seconds, before he nodded his head. "Then help us."

He blinked. "What?" He asked, confused at the sudden question for help.

"You don't like people getting hurt. You have questions that need answering, and if you come with us, both of those things can be answered. My friends, they plan to free the people inside the lacrima above our heads. They plan to foil the king's plans. With your help, then we'll have gained a powerful ally."

He could admit, the prospect was enticing. But he wasn't fooled, he wouldn't accept. "I refuse." He said bluntly. Mystogan blinked in surprise, before realization dawned in his eyes.

"Ah, if you're the lone wolf type, than we can arrange-" He shook his head before Mystogan finished his sentence, stopping him mid-sentence.

"I don't mind working with others." He admitted. "The problem I have is the way you do things." He said, making Mystogan tilt his head in confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Mystogan stated, and he nodded his head.

"You said you were friends with Gajeel right?" He hadn't, but one would come to that conclusion if one read between the lines. Mystogan nodded his head, and he sighed. "Then the problem I have is the destruction that comes with helping you."

Mystogan blinked, but he continued talking. "I don't mind destruction really. I cause destruction myself when I save people. But the sheer… mindless destruction that Gajeel showed doesn't make me eager to help." He paused before he shook his head. "When I first met Gajeel, I encountered people running from where he was causing a rampage. Some even said that they saw him destroy their houses, their carts of items. The problem there is that he's causing destruction close to people without regards to their lives."

Mystogan digested his words for a brief second, before he sighed and shook his head. "I see. Then you will most likely not get along with Fairy Tail." Mystogan amended. He nodded his head in reply.

"But you are mistaken." He suddenly said, he raised his head and stared at him. "Fairy Tail does not needlessly destroy, they destroy, because they protect. When they fight, they make sure they harm no one, not even their enemies. They choose to save everyone, like you yourself do." Was he so easily read now? Still, that didn't mean he agreed with the way they did things.

He shook his head, making Mystogan nod his. "Very well." Mystogan stood up, he made to do the same, but Mystogan only shook his head. "No need to see me off. I came only to speak to you, and I have done so. I understand that you wish to go against the king, but with your mindset, you will also choose to go against our plans. I would free you, but then it would only hinder us." Mystogan sighed again. "No need to show courtesy to someone you might face sooner than later." With that said, Mystogan nodded his head at him, before he bent down and picked up the helmet and put it on.

He turned around, but before he reached for the door, he spoke again. "I will promise you this. I will help you find people that can send you back to your world." He frowned. Help was good, but the way he worded that sounded like he wasn't going to get help from him directly.

So what did that mean?

"And also," Mystogan began again. He looked up at him. "Dragon slayer magic works on the lacrima." What did that mean?

With a final nod, Mystogan opened the door and stepped out, shutting it behind him and leaving him alone in his cell again. He let out his own breath as he dispelled the two swords still in the air. So many questions, and not enough answers.

He didn't know what time it was, but there was no way he was getting to sleep now that he was fully awake with things on his mind. So without much preamble, he began practicing his thaumaturgy, which consisted of opening and closing his circuits as he Reinforced his body.

There was nothing else to practice on anyway.

It would be twenty minutes later however, when three guards would suddenly burst into his room, looking around frantically while he just stared at them in confusion.

He would then learn that they had thought he had escaped. Too bad Mystogan never offered help in that matter.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

He had given up Reinforcing his body three hours ago after the guards came bursting into his room. They had left after that when they found out that he was still there, and now he was just mindlessly searching through his World for anything of interest.

He could say that he had absolute control over his world, and that he could pull out any weapon he would need at a whim, but that would be a lie. His World, it was infinitely large, meaning that even if he spent his entire life memorizing the contents of it, there would still be more to memorize, probably for several lifetimes over. His brain could only hold so much memory, while his soul had the world literally engraved into it. Thus, he had some weapons memorized, but not all the weapons were useful.

Take for example Nine Lives. He didn't even know it existed until he had fought that wounded and crippled Heracles, and even then he only found it because Berserker had it in its hands and had the technique and memories he needed to actually succeed in killing the thing engraved into it. And even then he had failed at that, he had managed to recreate a bastardized version of Shooting Hundred Heads, and that failed to kill the hulking Berserker fully.

During his soul searching (he had no idea what to call what he was doing anything else. Because he was quite literally looking into his soul), he had found several weapons and memorized their blueprints into his mind. One of those swords was a sword with a hook and chain. That would have been helpful when he had been falling, but he simply didn't have the time to look into his World for it.

Other than that, most of the swords he had in his mind were swords that would help him escape or fight if necessary. These were complimented by several blueprints of no name swords with no power whatsoever in case he needed to suppress enemies. Still, that didn't mean he could just escape on a whim.

The problem with escaping was the fact that he would have to face a literal army, as well as the Knight Captains that surrounded the castle. Sugarboy was trouble, simply because his sword could and would liquefy anything he threw against it. The law of magic of his world, where a greater mystery defeats a lesser mystery didn't apply here, at least, that was what he thought, he had tried after all. He had Traced a copy of Sugarboy's sword which would probably be a C to B ranked Mystic Code, and then he had Traced Caliburn, which was a B-ranked Noble Phantasm when he projected it, though in Edolas, it seemed that it was more a B+ Noble Phantasm for some odd reason. He had felt this feeling before as well, when he had Projected that wall of swords on the legion of knights after he fought Gajeel. They seemed almost perfect, exact replicas of the perfect original. They weren't the originals, but they were so damn close now that even he was hard pressed to find the differences, and that was saying something.

He slashed King Arthur's sword onto the blade, and as Caliburn's blade connected with Sugarboy's sword, the Traced Caliburn turned into metal putty in his hands.

He made sure to keep that memory safely locked under his consciousness, he didn't need Saber ever finding out that her favored sword could be turned into something soft and useless. Well, not exactly useless.

Though liquefied, Caliburn still had its inherent power inside it. In fact, it still had the same amount of power inside it as if it was still solid.

That had lead to another testing session. Dismissing the liquefied Caliburn, which he noted remained liquid even as it dissipated, he called forth Kanshou and Bakuya. He slashed the twin swords onto the blade, and like Caliburn, they turned liquid.

The interesting bit about this experiment happened after they turned liquid. The two swords – err puddles – still seemed to attract one another. And in five seconds, they were both together and had formed the taijitu symbol. The only difference being the lack of the black circle in the white part, and the lack of the white circle in the black part.

Deciding to test another theory, he summoned another pair of the twin swords… and he was promptly showered with the liquefied form of the previous two. He made a mental note to not do that again. Thankfully, when he dismissed the swords, the liquid from the swords evaporated as well.

Needless to say, the swords that were liquefied still had their previous powers. Which would mean he could still conceivably defeat Sugarboy if he wanted to.

He also thought that maybe the Noble Phantasms were liquefied by Sugarboy's sword because his sword was alien to them. He had heard of the Types, and he knew that most mysteries in the world didn't matter to them as they simply faded if the mysteries ever got close. The only thing that didn't seem to get disrupted by the Types were the Counter Guardians, and Alaya had ten guarding the Type-Mercury alone. At least, that was what he knew from Kiritsugu. And aside from warning him from approaching any Type, Kiritsugu had extolled him of the stories of massive destruction that came from the Types. The black plague being one.

Wait, if aliens were considered Types. Would that make him a Type of Edolas? Type-Emiya or something? And if so, why were his swords defeated by Sugarboy's own? Wouldn't the opposite supposed to be the case?

And then he remembered his soul must still be anchored to Gaia and Alaya. Which meant… he didn't know really. He wasn't a genius when it came to magic, what he knew, he knew simply because Kiritsugu told him and he made sure to remember everything he taught him. Of course, he had another teacher in Rin, but her lessons consisted more on helping him develop his Tracing, and not on the history of the magical part of his world, and the different things that the magical world had.

So now, he was sitting in his cell, searching through his soul for anything that was interesting. It was mind numbing really, but it was better than doing nothing.

He was interrupted from his researching however, as the door to his cell suddenly burst open. He opened his eyes and blinked as he realized that the door had hit the wall it was hinged on.

Only one person would enter that way, unless she got it from someone else, than it was highly likely that…

"Emiya." Yeah, it was Knightwalker. He turned around and faced the scarlet-haired woman as she approached him. He noticed that she had one of the adaptable spears on her back, and she was looking at him with conviction. He wondered what she had planned, before he refocused on the woman.

"What's wrong?" He asked, honestly curious as to why she would visit him.

"The King wishes to speak with you." She said bluntly. "It is about your recent betrayal."

He sighed. Not because he wasn't expecting it, but because he didn't betray anyone. He had promised to help, and that was what he intended to do. The problem was that helping the king wouldn't help the people. The king had an agenda of his own, and he would need to figure out what that was.

He stood up, before he nodded at Knightwalker. "Lead the way."

**XxX**

He was led to the anteroom again. With the same Knight Captains on the side, and the same throne with the same king on it. There were some differences however, that were quite obvious.

For one, he was handcuffed with a magic restraining item that didn't seem to work on him. For another, the faces when he had first arrived and had a talk with the king were faces filled with curiosity and wonder, now the same faces held nothing but cold indifference or contemp. He guessed that was right, since he had said he would make an enemy of them to Sugarboy, however indirect it was.

With the differences however, came the similarities. Knightwalker was escorting him again, although there was now an air of apprehension between them that hadn't been there before.

Still, he fidgeted slightly as he stood in front of the throne and waited for Knightwalker to finish whispering into the king's ear. He had readied some swords already, they were ready to be fired as his circuits flared, all he really needed to do was to smash the hammer, and his circuits would supply the prana necessary for his Projections to materialize.

Hopefully, fifty eight swords would be enough for him to cover his retreat, or at least, long enough for him to get a better position than in the middle of the two rows of Knights that were oozing hostility.

Knightwalker nodded her head to the king, before she stepped back and bowed slightly. She then turned and began walking down the steps towards him, he wasn't at all surprised when she didn't acknowledge him as she passed him, and only kept walking. She didn't even give him a spare glance or a flick of her eyes, she just… ignored him.

"I know that you are a righteous man." The king spoke. He turned his eyes towards the demure man, raising an eyebrow at the adjective he used to describe him. "Righteous, but all the same short-sighted."

He felt his eyebrow twitch a little. He was the short-sighted one? What happens if they run out of people they can take from other worlds? Is that your long term goal? To just run away from the problem until the last minute? He wanted to say it, but he kept his tongue; he knew when speaking out of turn would result in something bad. And being in a room filled with people devoted to the king would turn grotesque should he speak out of turn against said king.

"My people have lived in fear of the Exceed long enough. They deserve a life free from fear and doubt, free from the thoughts of an Exceed menace that can annihilate us." The king spoke softly, as if he was speaking to a child. That honestly grated on his nerves a little. "And with our latest plan, this has allowed us to take a step forward to seeing a brighter future where magic will sustain our lives indefinitely."

"You're just running from the problem." He felt his mouth run-off before he could clamp it shut. But what's done is done, at least he got to say what he wanted to say.

"Running from the problem?" The king repeated with narrowed eyes. "What would be the part where we run from the problem? The part where we take a stand against the Exceed, or the part where we take a stand against the people stealing the magic needed for us to survive?"

He shook his head, resolved he would continue to talk until he got what he needed to say across them all. "You're running from the problem by giving a short solution to a long problem." He explained. "Sure you have magic for this century, for the following millennia if need be. But what happens after ten millennia? Fifty? A hundred? Would your magic be enough to save the people in the future?"

"They will fend for themselves when their time comes. They are of no concern to me or my kingdom simply because they do not exist yet." He felt himself getting angrier at the king's words. "What matters is the present, we save as much people as we can now. The future can wait for another person to save it."

"Then that's just the same as saying you'll abandon your future!" He growled out. "Our future is affected by our past actions, and it is also affected by our present choices! To ignore the future, would mean you would allow your present to be guided by actions, and your past to be left to rot!" He was livid now, he could feel his anger broiling just underneath his skin.

What the king was saying, it was the same as what his potential future self thought. To save as much people as possible, at the expense of a lesser number of people. He didn't agree with it simply because lives were lives. It didn't matter if you killed one person to save ten, ten to save a hundred, in the end they are all alive. Saving them all may be impossible, but killing one to save the other is just wrong.

"And should that not be the case?" The king continued. "The past has already passed, there is no use dwelling on it. The same can be said about the future, it has yet to pass, so there is no use thinking about it. The present is all that matters; the present is where the people are. Where your future begins. To secure your future, make sure you do all that you can now, and then your future will be as you saw it."

He hated how that made sense to him. He hated that he actually agreed with the king. But what he hated most of all, was that Archer… he was right. Saving everyone was impossible, simply because saving everyone meant you had to sacrifice everyone.

But that wouldn't stop him. His path was already chosen, he wouldn't stray from it, simply because it is his fate to be one. He had defied fate before, multiple times. But each time he did, fate would grasp him tighter and tighter, until it would only give him one path.

The path he chose, the path made of blades.

"Enough with philosophy." The king droned. "You made mention to Sugarboy that you would get in our way. Now, the question would be is whether or not we execute you where you stand. It is obvious your word cannot be trusted, and it is also obvious that you are a powerful person. And while executing you would no doubt be easier, I cannot help but think of the ways you can aid us in helping our kingdom." The king let out a soft sigh. "It is a shame, for I already know the answer. But for courtesy, will you help us?"

His answer was quick and automatic. "No." What else could he say? He didn't want to be part of this desperation act, of turning an entire kingdom into a stone that powered people's lights and heaters. That would put him in the same league as that fake priest.

He shuddered a little. Archer he can handle being, but Kotomine? There was just something inherently _wrong_ with that picture.

"I say we amazingly strip him naked and sting him in the gallows." He turned towards the voice; he saw that it belonged to the man with the white trench coat and the sadistic eyes. "That way, when people look up at his majesty's amazing palace and see the traitor, they'll think twice before going against their amazing word."

"A little too amazing Hughes." The king muttered before he shook his head. "While I agree that sending a message is well and good, that seems a little to barbaric for our times."

"If his majesty sees so, I will amazingly retract my suggestion." He hadn't heard a guy say amazing so many times in just three sentences.

"I propose we just execute him on the spot." He turned his head towards a stout man. Strange, he hadn't seen him before. And… what was with his eyebrows? They looked like white horns. "But not without extracting him of his magic first."

He looked up in surprise at the statement. Extract his magic? They would have to kill him first before they tried that. "Like hell I'd let you." He muttered as he stared at the little old man.

The man only shrugged his small shoulders. "Like you had any choice in the matter. Look at you, you're bound and at our mercy." The man gestured towards him. He just stared blankly back, if he wanted to, he would be skewered by swords in the next second.

"An interesting prospect Byro." The king spoke up. So, the little old man was called Byro huh? Another strange name in this strange world. "But care to tell us why you think this would be a better idea than executing him? Extracting the magic from a living person uses up valuable supplies. And though Emiya can use magic, what makes you think the amount of magic we can extract from him outweigh the cost of the extraction process?"

Byro just smiled at the king. "It is simple really." He then waved his hand in a grand gesture towards him, he found himself frowning at the positive glee in the man's eyes. "He was able to stand toe to toe with a dragon slayer and managed to defeat him in single combat." That caused the surrounding knights to murmur, he frowned. What was a dragon slayer? He could only guess that it was related to the dragon slayer magic that Mystogan had told him last night, but so far, he had no solid evidence.

"A great prospect." The king nodded his head before turning back towards the other knights. "And what else do you all propose?"

"I say we leave him be, to rot in a cell." He turned towards the familiar voice. It was Knightwalker's, and judging from the murmuring and the pointing, he could guess that he wasn't the only one that found her words out of character.

"Oh?" The king uttered, his voice slightly surprised. "Of all my knights, I would have thought you, Knightwalker, would be the keenest in seeing his head on a pike. Why do you say we should just leave him in a cell?"

Knightwalker closed her eyes, before she reopened them five seconds later. "Because he is of no threat to us." She then gestured to his green cuffs. "And the magic draining cuffs will ensure that we drain his magic surely. No need to hasten his death." He could tell that Knightwalker's suggestion was being seriously considered by the king. But he couldn't quite help but feel she was acting… off.

Yesterday she was all about hastening to kill the prisoners, and now she was hesitating and trying to prolong his life. What was she after really? He caught her eye for a brief second, before she narrowed her own and turned away from him. The act confused him greatly, but he didn't question it further.

"I second Knightwalker's suggestion." He turned towards the brass voice. It came from the hairy knight with the giant sword strapped on his back. "Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to. Fairy Tail, the recent magic depletion, and most recent is the break out of three prisoners. We cannot afford to waste time draining the magic from someone when there is work to be done. The cuffs will accomplish that in due time."

He turned back towards the king, who had his eyes closed and seemed to be pondering the suggestions. He then re-opened them, before he turned towards the one other knight that hadn't spoken up since the start of the meeting.

"And what of you captain Sugarboy?" The king asked. "What say you on the matter?"

Sugarboy turned to him, before he gave him a sad look, he then turned back towards the king with a shake of his head. "We extract the magic from him as soon as possible." A loud crack was heard, and everyone turned towards the source of the noise. It was Knightwalker and she had her spear stabbed on the ground.

"Care to explain why that is Sugarboy?" She asked with a dangerous glint in her eyes. Sugarboy however, just stared at her calmly, not at all fazed by her sudden aggression.

"Because I have witnessed his magic firsthand. I saw personally that he can call upon swords, spears, axes, hammers, and many other weapons into existence with just a thought. He obviously has enough magic to power the cannon and weaponize it. Extraction would be the best course of action." Sugarboy than tilted his head at Knightwalker. "And what of you? You seem quite adamant in keeping him alive for as long as possible. I had thought you wanted to kill him personally after his betrayal?"

Knightwalker narrowed her eyes, before she sighed and took her spear off the ground and strapped it onto her back. She then crossed her arms over her chest, and remained silent, even thought most of the people in the room wanted to hear her answer.

He saw Sugarboy shrug, before Sugarboy turned back to the king. "As you can see your majesty, extracting the magic from him is the majority decision. I vote that we-"

Sugarboy didn't get to finish as the sudden opening of the large double doors turned everyone's attention to it. He saw that a guard was panting greatly, and that the other guards behind him were doing the same. Finally, after a second to catch their breath, they spoke up. "Invaders! Fairy Tail has invaded the capital and is causing havoc!"

**XxX**

"Ice make: Hail!" She watched as Gray let loose a hailstorm that rained down on the approaching knights. She expected them all to be blown away by the attack, but she was surprised when she saw them stand their ground and huddle closer together before raising their shields to defend.

The hailstorm collided with the shield wall, and the resulting impact caused the hail to spilt apart into smaller pieces before they ricocheted off the shields and into the nearby walls and on the streets. Glass shattered and the walls were battered, but the knights kept themselves standing, before they steadily advanced forward, their steps in unison with the others.

She was impressed with the sheer discipline these knights showed compared to the ones she knew in Fiore. The knights in Edolas were trained to fight against magic, not suppress it like in Fiore when there was trouble. Maybe that was why they acted coherently as a unit and not rely on sending wave after wave against a wizard in hope the wizard would be overwhelmed.

Still, disciplined or not, they were no match for them.

"Ice make: Storm!" She watched as Gray upped the ante and let loose a stronger hailstorm complete with bigger ice at the approaching knights. The knights held as best they could, and even managed to deflect three of the car sized ice that Gray sent there way. But Gray wasn't done, she watched him as he held out his hand in front of one slab of ice he kept close to him, and prepared to strike.

"Ice make: Hammer!" He shouted as his hands were encased in ice, before he threw his arm back and then forward onto the ice. The resulting attack sent the car-sized chunk of ice flying towards the defending knights much faster than the previous three. She heard the knights scream, before they tried to spread out to avoid the ice, but it was too late as the majority of them were caught in the path of the ice. The car-sized ice cube ran them over, before it began to roll and stopped right in the middle of the street, waiting to get melted as it was no use now that it was stationary.

She saw that the knights were trying to recollect themselves. It looked like it was her turn to do her part.

She felt her magic envelop her, before she let her heart kreuz armor dissipate as well as the outfit under it, only to be replaced by her Heaven's wheel armor.

When the light died, she flew up in the air and summoned a good number of swords, before she let it rain from her position. She took careful aim so as to not kill someone, but it turns out that she didn't need to do that even. The knights all raised their shield to defend against the incoming swords, before they slowly began to take steps towards the buildings next to them, careful so as to not leave themselves exposed to her swords.

A tactical decision on their part, but ultimately futile. She wasn't averse to destruction. She took aim, and let her swords pierce the nearby buildings. This resulted in the knights running from the buildings and out in the open again. Mostly for fear of the buildings falling on their heads than the swords piercing the buildings all together.

She stopped her sword rain as the nearby buildings began groaning, before the stone buildings all fell one after another. The destruction was immense, and she was momentarily reminded of the destruction she saw Gajeel in when she first woke up in Edolas.

Speaking of a dragon slayer, she remembered Natsu adamantly saying he wanted to be part of the group that were going to distract the guards. Which would be her group with Gray and Lucy.

Mystogan's plan was weird to her, but she didn't question it. Mostly because Mystogan seemed to know what he was doing and she didn't even have the remotest idea on what to do about the situation. If she was left with the planning, she'd have probably just said to charge forward and defeat anyone in their way. That was the usual way to go about things, especially with her team.

Speaking of Mystogan, he had arrived in the camp site they had set up in the middle of the night, nearly giving everyone a heart attack because he had bypassed the lookout, which happened to be Natsu and Happy. How he managed to get past Natsu's nose, she would never know.

Aside from that, he had relayed a plan to them. They had asked where he had gone, but he had remained silent on the matter and simply told them to focus on the task at hand.

The plan involved letting Gray, Lucy, and herself set up a distraction, before Mystogan escorted the three dragon slayers to the giant lacrima island in the sky. Supposedly, dragon slayer magic was the pinnacle of all things magical in Edolas, and a dragon slayer's might could set free the people inside the lacrima.

She would have thought Natsu would be all gung-ho with that , destroying a lacrima and all. But he seemed adamant in wanting to be in the distraction team. He was saying something about a good guy that was on the bad guy's side, but he was a good guy. She didn't get it, nor did anyone else in the group for that matter. Well, save for Wendy, who seemed to flush as Natsu talked about the good guy that wasn't bad.

Mystogan had just shook his head, and told Natsu that the good guy he wanted to talk to would sooner attack him then the people inside the capital itself. Natsu frowned at that, but otherwise, kept quiet as Mystogan told him to follow the plan. Telling Natsu that the sooner the lacrima was destroyed, the sooner they could go home with the rest of Fairy Tail.

So now she was here, with Gray doing his best to keep the synchronized knights at bay from a distance, while she showered them with her own brand of steel hail. Lucy was the back-up, in case anyone got close, she would summon her spirits and control the pacing so as both her and Gray could assist her after they were done.

Another hail of swords, and another building collapsing, She wondered if the distraction was working, it was meant to lure out the knight captains from the castle and make them pursue them. This was so that no one would notice the three dragon slayers getting transported towards the giant lacrima island by a cloaked figure.

As she was pondering however, she noticed that the knights seemed to suddenly lose their will to fight. They raised their shields, before they all began retreating by taking steps back while they were all clustered in a group.

Of course, Gray took this as an opportunity for another round of bowling, and pretty soon, Gray had launched another giant ice ball towards the group via ice hammer. But unlike before however, where the knights scattered, they remained resolutely in place as they continued taking steps back.

She watched as the ice neared the knights, but before they could collide, the giant ice ball shattered, sending splinters of ice fanning everywhere, shattering windows and pincushioning the walls with razor sharp pieces of ice. Thankfully, they were at a far enough distance that the ice shards didn't reach them.

But as the mist from the destruction of the ice ball cleared, she realized what had happened. In the mist, there was a silhouette of a person, a woman with the way her body was structured. A woman with a pony tail, and also holding a spear.

When the mist cleared even more, she was given a sight that made her eyes widen, and her breath hitch, It was her that had shattered the ice.

She watched as the woman with her face, her scarlet red hair, and her confidence step forward, before she raised her spear and pointed it at them. She watched as she opened her mouth and listened as she spoke in her voice. "Mages of Fairy Tail, I will offer you one chance to surrender. If you do not, then I will be forced to take you all down by force."

No one spoke, Gray just stared at the woman that was (not) her with wide eyes. While Lucy had her own eyes narrowed. Meanwhile, she could only stare at the exact replica of her, she stared at her face, which was the same as hers, and she stared at her armor. Which… she found rather revealing. Though from her place up in the sky, she could faintly make out the proportions of her body, it was surprising to see that she had the same numbers she did from the looks of it.

Still, she knew that this was her, but she also knew it wasn't. Simply because of the way her eyes stared at them and because of her choice of armor. She didn't fight without armor, only on those rare occasions, but the woman that was (not) her wasn't wearing any kind of armor at all, at least, any armor that she would approve of. And her eyes, her eyes told her that she wanted them to say no to her offer. She was literally oozing killing intent, something she would never be able to do.

She narrowed her eyes, before she answered the only way Fairy Tail would answer. By attacking. She also wasn't the most patient of people.

She sent ten swords sailing, all aimed at the woman with the scarlet hair. The woman smirked, before she griped her spear with both hands. She then jumped towards the swords, intent on meeting them halfway, she watched as the woman suddenly twirled around, before the edge of her spear started to glow. When she completed her spin, her spear had changed, the edge was no longer the simple one blade edge, the spear was now sporting three prongs like that of a pitchfork. Before she could digest the information however, the spear suddenly started sparking, and before long, the woman had pointed her spear forward towards the swords, and out came a lightning bolt.

The lightning bolt struck the first sword, before it arced towards the second, and then the third. This continued until it hit every last sword, and as the lightning dissipated, all the swords suddenly turned to dust. She was awed at the sight, not because it was impossible, but because this all happened in the span of three seconds.

She watched as the woman landed in a crouch, her spear held in her right hand behind her back while her left hand had braced itself on the floor. The woman then looked up, and the look in her eyes confirmed that this woman and her were definitely not the same.

"I was hoping you would do that. Now I have a legitimate reason to kill you." She said with a sadistic gleam in her eyes. A look that no one would ever see in her own.

"Now, now Knightwalker." She looked up, and saw a giant leviathan floating in the air. The leviathan had a person on top of it, another knight she supposed with the armor he had on. She was impressed at the color of the armor, she didn't think a man would willingly wear something so shockingly pink as body armor. "What happened to your earlier mercy for Emiya? Can you not spare your counterpart the same courtesy?"

She looked back at the scarlet haired woman – who she now identified as Knightwalker – before she straightened herself and let the butt of her spear strike the ground. "Counterpart or not, they have disturbed the peace. They are also little fairies, making it my job to kill them."

"While I am all for attacking and striking." Another voice began, this one was a deep baritone. She looked to the left, and saw from her overlooking view another knight perched atop a roof, looking down onto Gray and Lucy. This one looked hairy and had a giant sword strapped on his back "These three seem to be on a different plateau than the regular Fairy Tail mages. They can use magic without any sort of object."

She heard Knightwalker scoff. "Please, items or not, their heads will adorn my spear sooner than later."

"What makes you so sure that you'll win?" She turned towards Lucy, who had been the one who spoke up. "Together, Fairy Tail won't ever be defeated by people like you! People that drain magic from others, that use others' own powers against them. Fairy Tail has faced people stronger than you, and we always come out on top."

"Yeah." Gray agreed. She did too, but she kept it to herself as she didn't want to let her guard down yet. "Fairy Tail is the strongest guild in Fiore. We've faced demons and we've faced death, together, Fairy Tail will never lose."

For a moment, the three Knight Captains didn't say anything. They only regarded them all with varying degrees of scrutiny. Finally, someone broke the silence, it was Knightwalker. She looked up towards her, before she spoke to her. "And what of you? What do you have to say about that?"

She frowned, before she answered. "Fairy Tail will never abandon each other. When you took our guild from us, you made us your enemy. And enemies of Fairy Tail rarely get to see the light of day as justice is meted out."

Knightwalker regarded her for a second, before she erupted in laughter. The laughter was mocking and scornful, and it grated on her nerves to hear it with her own voice. "Friends? Abandon each other? Noble sentiments that will ultimately get you killed!" Knightwalker spun her tri-pronged spear, before she set herself in a ready position. "Lily, Sugarboy, Erza is mine." She was surprised that Knightwalker knew her name, but she didn't let it get to her as she readied herself.

"Of course." She heard the knight captain atop the leviathan respond. "Then I shall take the shirtless man."

"…As loathe as I am facing a weaker opponent, the blonde is mine." The man on the roof said, his voice rattling inside his own helmet before he reached for the giant sword strapped on his back. She thought it a zweilhander, but it was too broad to be one, so perhaps it was a blacksmith's sword? Perhaps, but she refocused on her opponent, as she trusted Lucy to be able to handle the man, or hold out until either she or Gray had dealt with their own opponents. Of three others in her team, Lucy was definitely the most cunning.

"Very well," Knightwalker said with a smirk. Knightwalker then looked up at her, before she spoke. "I am honor bound as a knight to state my name to someone I find worthy to be my opponent. And seeing who you are, I don't doubt that you will be more than worthy."

She frowned at Knightwalker's words. "I feel honored." She didn't, and her voice relayed that message regardless of her words.

Knightwalker however, only smirked wider. "You should." She said matter-of-factly. "I am Erza Knightwalker, and today you will meet your end little fairy." Knightwalker finished, before she launched herself at her. She saw the spear begin to rotate the three prongs, and electricity started to spark on the ends of it.

She would have stated her own name, but the next second saw her having to dodge a streak of electricity that arced from Knightwalker's spear and towards her. She barely managed to dodge by leaning back, but even then some pieces of her hair had been singed, and the crown on her head that came with the Heaven's wheel armor had been split in two.

She was about to right herself in midair, but had to stop as she was forced to summon two swords that crossed each other just above her chest to avoid Knightwalker slashing down onto her stomach.

"Good! I thought I was going to be disappointed for a second there!" Knightwalker exclaimed gleefully, before she pushed down, and pointed the three prongs at her chest. Her own eyes widened as she saw the electricity begin to spark in between the three prongs.

Thinking quickly, she re-quiped into her lightning empress armor, taking careful measure to not dismiss the two swords that were holding the spear at bay. The next second saw her getting electrocuted, but her armor managed to halve the damage she would have taken from the attack.

This had the added effect of not affecting her as much as well as some of the magical lightning getting absorbed by her armor, thus she was able to recover quickly. She summoned her own spear in her right hand, before she used the half of the electricity absorbed by her armor to boost her speed. In the next second, she was behind Knightwalker, and the second after that saw her slashing sideward and hitting Knightwalker's side with the base of the spear, sending her careening through the air and back towards the ground.

With a loud crash, Knightwalker impacted onto a building. The building gave out a second later, and Knightwalker was buried under rubble. And for a second, she thought she had defeated the knight captain, but she thought better of it and readied herself.

Sure enough, a second later, the rubble began to shift, a second after that, the rubble exploded outwards, with Knightwalker having used her strength to push it away from her body. She saw Knightwalker began to dust herself, seemingly unaffected at having a two story building crumble on top of her.

"I was right then." Knightwalker said with a smirk. She returned it with a frown on her own before she descended onto the ground. She landed with a crouch, but managed to right herself not a second later. Knightwalker watched this with the same smirk and the same sadistic look in her eyes. "You are worthy of having my name stated."

"The sentiment is shared." She inclined her head in agreement. Enemy or not, she had forced her on the defensive. And that in itself was a truly amazing feat to do.

"Ha! Like I need your sentiment." Knightwalker responded with a derisive laugh. "Worthy opponent or not, that doesn't change the fact that your head will be on the end of my spear by the end of the day."

"Perhaps." She said with a slight incline of her own head. "But first, let me state my name to return the favor. My name is Erza Scarlet, Titania of Fairy Tail."

Knightwalker frowned at her as she introduced herself. "Titania? Wow, I would have never thought that my counterpart would so willingly join the fairies, but you learn something new everyday. Queen of the fairies, a certainly ironic name." Knightwalker shrugged. "Regardless, that information is irrelevant."

She frowned. "And why is that? Common courtes-"

"Common courtesy only applies to those that are still alive." Knightwalker interrupted her, before she clutched her spear and it began glowing again. In the next second, the three prongs were replaced by a single curved blade. "And when I'm done with you, the life would have been snuffed out already."

With that, Knightwalker charged. She responded by also charging. They met halfway, her spear having been slashed sideward, while Knightwalker having slashed her now glaive downwards. The bases of the spears met, and the sound of thunder erupted from them, sending a wave of force exploding outwards from where their spears met.

She knew now that they would be equally matched. And that the following fight would be long and quite possibly the hardest she would ever fight. But she knew that she wouldn't give up, that was not how Fairy Tail was. She would fight, for her friends, and for her family that was the guild. She would overcome everything for them.

Even if her opponent was herself.

**XxX**

He could feel the fighting begin even from the dungeon room he was in.

He could feel the earth shake, and he could hear the distant sounds of metal hitting metal, of buildings collapsing, and of people shouting. He would have freed himself and helped, had it not been for the fact that he was now under heavy scrutiny by not only Edward, Ellen, and Nero. But also one Knight Captain, the demure and weird Byro.

"Can you hear it?" The small man asked him, his eyebrows that were shaped like horns rising as he did so. "The sounds of fighting, of people screaming, of destruction? Isn't it magnificent?"

He scowled, but before he could answer, Byro had interrupted him. "Don't get me wrong, I am no villain. I am simply an evil man working on the side of good. Well, our good that is. Not so much for you and your group."

"I have no group." He corrected the small man. Who responded by laughing at him. The man's voice was raspy and it honestly grated on his nerves, add to the fact that he was acting like that thrice damned priest, than he honestly wanted nothing more than to punch his lights out.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong." Byro said with a smirk. "You are part of the group that wishes our kingdom to end by denying us the magic needed to survive. To me, you are the same as those Fairy Tail wizards, even if you fought against one of them before."

"But I digress, that is not the point." Byro waved his hands dismissively. "The point is, our kingdom needs magic to survive. It is magic that keeps our island a float above the clouds, and it is magic that prevents it from crashing to the ground and causing untold destruction, not just on the island itself, but also on the earth below." Byro smirked. "Simple physics really. Take an entire island, let it float upwards above the clouds, and when it falls and reaches terminal velocity, it would be like an asteroid impacting the ground, causing air to rush away, and oxygen to burn."

He was surprised that someone in this world knew physics to that extent, and to be honest, he couldn't exactly deny that he was right. Physics was never his best subject, he was just average at it actually, but still, from what information he could remember, Byro was right. An asteroid just the size of the capital city could wipe out all life on the ground, what more an entire island filled with different cities?

Byro seemed disappointed at him, which just confused him. "You don't seem shocked." He commented, and he just narrowed his eyes.

"What's the use of being shocked when I can delegate my energy to something more useful?" He countered, to which Byro's smirk grew even wider.

"I concede to your point." He amended with a bow of his head. "But that doesn't change the fact that you are fighting for our extinction. "Should you continue on your goal, and if you should succeed, you will have an entire world's worth of lives over your head. Tell me, is one guild's worth of lives heavier than an entire world's?"

Logic says of course not. But he knew better than that. He wasn't Kiritsugu, he wasn't his father. If Kiritsugu were in his place, there would be no doubt that he would agree with Byro and possibly help them on with their plan. But he wasn't him, and though he loved his now departed adopted father dearly. He simply couldn't agree with killing people to save others. Call him naïve, call him an idiot, call him a bleeding heart, but that was who he was. He was greedy like that.

"Then I will find a way to help both worlds." He said without stuttering, this seemed to surprise the small knight captain for a second, before he erupted in full blown laughter.

"That innocence should be applauded." Byro said with a smile. "But nonetheless, the world does not need dreamers, the world needs people that will save it. And dreamers all too often just sit around and think of a better plan, allowing their indecision to rot the world around them. Dreamers can keep dreaming, while the people that act will save the world. That is how it is done."

He made to respond, but Byro simply shook his head and then pointed at the only window in the room. The window was barred, but it showed a clear picture of the outside world, and it showed destruction and decimation aplenty. "See, this is how the people act to save the world. They don't sit around and dream, they already have the dream in their eyes, and they work to see it through." Byro turned back towards him. "They don't save the world by thinking about what can be done, they simply know what they must do, and act on it."

He wanted nothing more than to stab the little man with swords. But patience held his hand, killing him would accomplish nothing but being detrimental to his health and his imprisonment anyway.

He wanted to kill him, because what he was describing was him in a nutshell. He would save people at the expense of his life, and if they were happy, he would be happy. That was how he had fought his war, with Berserker, Archer, Gilgamesh, and lastly Saber herself. During all those times, he didn't think about his own health, only that he would save people, or himself in Archer's case, when he defeated the opponents before him. He didn't think, he only acted.

But here, in Edolas, it was different. His life wasn't the only one at stake, nor were there only three or two lives to save. What he would have to do, was literally save two worlds, without either world getting killed. It was a daunting prospect, but he guessed that this was what he asked for. He wanted to be a hero, and it looks like he would get his chance.

Now, if he could only think of a way to help both worlds…

He was interrupted from his thoughts as a shadow suddenly passed the window. He looked towards it, and he could faintly make out something serpentine floating in the air, with a figure of a man on top of it. He wondered what it was, but Byro answered his question.

"The problem with desperation attacks." Byro began. He saw the small man smirk a little, while the three others guards, Edward, Ellen, and Nero, who had remained silent and had stood still for the majority of his talk with Byro, suddenly started fidgeting. "Is that it reeks of said desperation in itself. The prince thinks he has been hiding under our noses for so long, that we never noticed him. But in reality, we knew what he would do, simply because he has a bleeding heart for a world not his own."

Byro then gestured towards the window again, and as he looked out of it, he noticed that the serpentine figure was… a rollercoaster. Complete with safety handles and a flaming motif on the side. It was a literal flying roller coaster.

But that wasn't what caught his eye, nor did the man with the white cape and had a penchant for shouting 'amazing' catch his eye. No, what caught his eye was the… cannon on top of the rollercoaster's first car. It was aiming at something, and as he squinted his eyes to see what it was aiming at, Byro continued talking. "He thinks he can smuggle the dragon slayers under our noses. He thinks that with the massive amount of fighting with magic in the city would throw off our sensors enough to let the dragon slayers destroy our lacrima, but our sensors are much more disciplined than that. Dragon slayer magic is nearly limitless, and just one would set-off multiple alarms across the nation. What more would three do?"

He saw what the cannon was aiming at, it was… four figures, no wait, it was six. With the last two being silhouettes of cats with wings. They were all floating up in the air on a spinning disk of… runes? He didn't know as it was too far to make out the details. He turned back to the cannon, and noticed that it had power gathered into its barrel, and it looked ready to fire.

"With this, we can weaponize the Dragon Chain Cannon!" Byro shouted as the cannon let loose a rumble, before it fired a wave of light towards the figures on the floating circle of runes. He had to shield his eyes as the light was unbearably bright, but it only lasted for five seconds, before it started to die down. He noticed that the light retreated back into the cannon, whose barrel seemed to glow even brighter than before.

When the light normalized, he took a look at the place where the figures on the disk were on, and saw that they weren't there anymore. Rather, they were still in the same place, but they were all falling head first towards the ground. Even the smallest two, of the cats, had lost their wings and were falling.

"With that, we have won." Byro said with a maniacal grin. He turned towards the small man and made to ask a question, but the sudden collapse of the old man, coupled with the sound of Edward grunting as he smashed his sword on back of the small man's head, made him stop.

"Don't get us wrong." Edward spoke as he raised his visor so that he could see his face. "We still believe what his majesty is doing is right for the kingdom."

"But we still don't agree with using other's lives to power our future." He turned towards Nero, who had been the one that spoke next. "Fighting against his majesty now would help us look for the alternative, without having to sacrifice what the king already has planned."

"It's both practical, and ethical." Ellen finished as she raised her own visor and stared at him. "If we win, we find another way to help the kingdom without killing anyone. But if we lose, we lose only our lives, and we wouldn't need to sacrifice what the plan had already given us."

"We still don't believe you can think of a way to help everyone." Edward began again. "But as it stands, even a hopeless dream is better than the alternative."

"Yup," Nero said with a chipper voice. He could just imagine the lithe man grinning underneath his helmet at him. "What Cap'n Byro said was true. But it's also complete bull. Dreamers are the ones that keep the world spinning you know? They offset the dark parts of the world with their bright ideas and positive thinking."

He looked at the three knights in front of him. Honestly unsure what to think of the entire situation. After a few seconds, he let out a nod of his head, before he issued them a warning. "If you come with me, then I can't guarantee a good answer."

All three nodded at him immediately. "We know," Edward began. "But we don't care. A knight's duty is to save people's lives. No matter which side it's supposed to be in."

He looked at all three again, before he nodded. "Alright. Then follow me." He moved towards the door, but was stopped as Edward suddenly held his shoulder. He looked at the knight, before he knight simply gestured towards the magic draining cuffs on his hand. The knight made to grab the keys he had on his pouch, but he simply shook his head, before he muttered his aria. "Trace On."

A longsword appeared gripped in his right hand, he flipped it and stabbed it through the ground. He then used the blade to saw the jelly like substance off his hands, before he proceeded to let the sword dissipate into prana fragments.

"Wait, wait, wait." He looked over towards Nero. "All this time you could have freed yourself? No wait, scratch that. All this time you could have skewered us?!" Nero exclaimed, honestly shocked and surprised at his use of magic.

He shrugged his shoulders at him. "If it came to that…" He trailed before he turned around and muttered his aria again. This time, another sword appeared in his hands, a Greek xiphos, it wasn't good against normal armor, but it was good to use in close quarters, and being inside a dungeon definitely counted as close quarters.

He gestured for Edward to open the door, to which he did so readily. He then stepped out, followed by Ellen, before finally Nero. He ignored his mutterings, though he was sure he heard him mutter '…had us all in the palm of his hands' before he finally stepped through the door.

He made to follow, before he glanced back towards the unconscious Byro. For a second, he thought of just killing him then and there. Before he dismissed that thought immediately. It disturbed him that it had crossed his mind at all.

He turned, and followed the three knights that were now his allies out the door. His mind racing as he thought of plan of action.

**XxX**

**Done.**

**Warning, ranting is gonna happen.**

**Firstly. Edolas. They aren't going on shounen world logic. They're going on desperation logic. Their entire world hinges on having magic so that they don't all die. I would go on and explain why most of the energy making processes don't work, but hopefully when I say that electricity needs to be generated, and that I'm assuming that Edolas uses magic energy to generate electricity, that would explain things to you guy's a bit. And before anyone asks, I didn't take that falling island from Age of Ultron. Though the resemblance is uncanny, Edolas is really kept afloat by magic.  
**

**Second, about nerfing (seriously, why are you thinking this?) Shirou. Also saying that I'm bashing (HA!) him. I never made him into a punching bag. What makes you say I did? He beat Gajeel rather handily, even though Gajeel had a literal iron body and could take sword swipes to the chest all day. And Shirou isn't acting out yet, simply because he had no reason to until this chapter. He had to find a way to help everyone, that is how he is. And the problem with that is that usually, he uses himself as a giant meatshield to help everyone. But doing that here would make one world die, while the other live. Morally, he couldn't do that. Even though Edolas has more people than Fairy Tail has in a guild. Kiritsugu would choose Edolas no doubt.**

**And seriously, Prana is needed to live in the Type-moon verse. Everything has prana, even the regular people. Their souls have prana, and that is the reason Rider sucked the soul out of everyone in the HGW. Kiritsugu would know this, because even though he was only a magic-user, that doesn't mean the rules of magic (see rules of magic here, not rules of magic made by magi) don't apply to him.**

**Honestly, I don't get why some of you guys keep saying I nerfed him. Did I nerf him? After he beat Gajeel so readily, I don't think I did. He's even acting in character (at least, I think so). So what's the problem here? Tell me so that I may understand why you guys think I nerfed him. He isn't a punching bag, no one would hurt him after knowing that he can pull out a literal wall of swords from his world and threaten an entire legion of knights. So really? Maybe you guys just think that he's too strong or something? I don't know.**

**Lastly, the sword healing/sword body thing. The swords don't heal. They just set the broken bones and reinforce them. They reknit the skin, but they don't create new skin. In short, they keep Shirou alive for the fight, but they don't heal him after the fight.  
**

**I hope that clears up what you guys are saying. Because honestly, it's starting to grate a little on my nerves. I can stand Edolas and the swords. But saying that I nerfed Shirou or is bashing him, that I can't stand at all. He is my favorite Type-moon character, and the last thing I want to do is bash him. In fact, if anything I'm a fanboy myself. But I don't wank, I keep it realistic. Shirou is a badass character in himself. He's the underdog that no one thinks can win, but secretly hope that he will always win. He isn't someone that will roll over enemies to win, he's someone that will find a way to win.**

**And don't say I bash characters. I hate bashing. I literally cannot stand a fic if it has any bashing whatsoever. Shirou is a badass character already. No need to bash other characters for their perverted tendencies or "string pulling" to make him any more badass. A good writer makes a character look good while making the others seem like background characters that support the hero. While a great writer can make a character look good, while making the other background characters look good with him. At least, that's my motto. That's the reason you see so much OC's in my stories.**

**Don't get me started on Oc's. They're all fine to me as long as you present them as realistic to the world you're writing.**

**Anyway, ranting done. What tell me what you guys think of this chapter in your reviews. And again, if you have any response to the AN whatsoever, PM me. Don't review only for the AN.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	8. Death of a Knight, Return of the Son

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Okay seriously, last chapter for AMT, and then going back to F:Z/N. I am honestly too inspired to just stop writing after the last chapter. Why am I inspired? I have no idea. **

**And officially, this story has seven chapters, eight if you count this one. But this story has only seven chapters for me, not counting the prologue at all.**

**And again, this is HA Shirou. No, that is not Heaven's Feel. It is Hollow Atraxia. You know? Where Archer (almost) beat Saber with Hrunting? Also where ko-Gil was born, as well as Fisher!Lancer.**

**And I like to think of lacrima crystals as an alkaline battery. That is, when it runs out of energy, there is a sudden drop in effectiveness and not a slow decline. Batteries! Useless knowledge that I gained from reading a book... about batteries… in the library… hey, it was a hot day and the library had air conditioning.**

**And new Lancer is best Lancer… just hope she isn't as luck-E as the rest of her people. Get it? Sorry bad pun, but yeah. According to legends, she may have that ranking. Well, we'll just have to see.**

**And… don't mention anything about that particular crossover fic between Highschool DxD and Fate that has Shirou turning into a devil and a queen. If you guys have read my last author's note, then you guys know what my stance is with that fic. Just… don't mention it to me. Ever.**

**XxX**

Things were quiet in the castle, honestly not surprising since he figured most of the knights were out there fighting the invaders from Fairy Tail.

Still, it was strange that after they had exited the prison tower/dungeon, they never encountered another knight. He didn't think that the entire knight force had been called to deal with the invaders, but from the number of knights (or lack thereof) he figured that they were indeed all called out to fight the invaders.

"Don't let the silence fool you." He looked to his right, towards Edward. "The castle is far from defenseless. Most of the knights were indeed called to deal with Fairy Tail inside the capital city, but a few legion of them were called to evacuate the city. And had it not been for our orders from Captain Sugarboy, which was to guard you directly, we would be part of the latter group evacuating the people."

"But what about the castle?" He asked as they turned a corner. Edward simply shook his head in reply.

"Mostly, the other knights may have been called to guard the cannon, wherever it is." Edward explained. He digested that bit of information for a second, before he looked down the hall, and like Edward has said, no one was there. Only the stone walls and the multiple decorations adorned on the wall that reminded him of the castles in England. Suits of armor standing at attention on one side of the wall, with banners on the opposite side of them draped over the windows. When he looked out the windows, he could see smoke coming from the city, as well as the occasional sparking of metal hitting metal. He couldn't make out the small details, but from what he could see, there were two people engaged in a fight that took place in the air, while there was the occasional spark of energy followed some buildings icing over. But strangely enough, after the buildings would get iced over, it would liquefy.

Immediately he knew who was fighting, the former was Knightwalker, engaged in a melee with someone that was on the same level as her. While Sugarboy was fighting someone that was using ice of some sort.

He watched the scene, and he shook his head. So this was what Mystogan was talking about? He asked him to help with this much destruction? There was no way he would agree to this. Buildings were falling, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how many lives were ruined because they had no home now. But from the destruction he also noticed the occasional group of knights trying to moderate the damage done to the buildings. They set up protective walls with their shields in front of buildings as the ground they stood on froze, but they held their ground. They stood atop a building as they formed a shield wall that absorbed a bolt of lightning that came from the sky. He saw some of them slip from the ice, some of them fall from exhaustion, and some of them cringe as some of the lightning arced over towards individual knights that were simply unlucky.

All in all, the chaos was destructive, but not as destructive as it would have been had it not been for the knights. Still, there was a question that was on the forefront of his mind. So he voiced it out as they continued to quietly walk down the hall.

"Why aren't the others helping the knight captains?" He asked, not turning his head from the row of windows that gave him a clear view of the city getting destroyed while at the same time, getting saved.

Nero suddenly appeared in his line of vision, casually walking on the same side as the window while staring at it. "Because they'd just get in the way." Nero stated as he shrugged. "The knight captains are the best the kingdom has to offer. That's why they're placed in control of a legion of knights. Some of the knight captains aren't really the best leaders, but the people respect their power enough to listen to them when the time comes."

"And we grunts aren't really as strong or as chivalrous as the knight captains." He took his eyes away from the window to glance at Ellen walking behind him. Her head was also turned towards the window, and he could see from behind her visors that she was taking in the sight in front of her with apt attention. "If we squires want to be of any help to them, we have to stand aside and help by lessening the damage done to the kingdom. The magic shortage is severe, and having to use any more magic to fix buildings would only make sure that our kingdom collapses faster under our feet."

He digested that information, before he spoke again. "I've been meaning to ask, but why use magic at all as a power source?" He voiced. The two that had been staring at the window now turned towards him. He could see their questioning stares from behind their helmets, so he clarified. "I mean, you obviously use electricity to power your lights and your homes. And to generate electricity you would need a generator. The question I have is why use magic to power that generator? Couldn't you all use something different? Water, solar, or even wind?"

"That is a simple enough question." He turned back towards Edward. He raised an eyebrow, but Edward only shook his head. "But the answer is complicated."

He gestured for him to continue, and Edward sighed in response. "You see, our floating island is floating because there is a lacrima crystal buried deep inside it. This lacrima cannot be utilized, because when it drains, its hold on this island will weaken and we will drop."

"Not weaken." He turned back towards Ellen as he heard her chiding voice. "Our teachers never used such a word. The hold will snap when its magic runs out."

He turned back towards Edward, who nodded his head at Ellen. "Regardless, the outcome is still the same. The lacrima inside the island has just enough power to hold the island afloat. And should we use any of the magic in that lacrima crystal, the hold on the island will snap in two. This also applies to the other islands, but it's a thin thread, and it is why we do not use that to power our kingdom."

He just stared at him blankly. "That wasn't my question." He said bluntly.

Edward chuckled in response. "That's because I wasn't finished." Edward coughed, before he began again. "Wind is good; in fact, it would be the best to use it here, atop the clouds with wind blowing through the kingdom on a daily basis. But the problem is the spacing. Our kingdom is large; spanning multiple islands, the capital itself holds a quarter of the land on this particular floating island. And this is the largest island. How many windmills would it take to power just the capital? What more the entire kingdom? Just a single farm wouldn't be enough, we would need multiple. And to do that, we would need to demolish cities, cities where people have homes and jobs. Certainly we could offer them new jobs on this wind farm, but where would they live? We cannot simply build homes next to the windmills, which would be dangerous, especially since the winds on the island can become particularly strong if there is a storm right under us."

"Now water, unfortunately, we cannot hope to build a dam. Simply because we have no river. We have the celestial river, which connects multiple islands together, but building a floating dam is damn near impo-" He was stopped by Ellen whacking him atop the head. He cringed a little at the sound of her metal gauntlets meeting with Edward's metal helmet. That would make any person's head swim.

"Damn it!" Well, he had to hand it to the guy; he still followed through with his joke. "That hurt!" Edward whined, his voice squeaking a little, a large disparity was shown from his scholarly musings, to his complaining voice. "I thought I told you not to do that anymore!?"

"Don't care." Ellen stated coldly before she stopped, prompting him and other two knights to stop as well. Ellen then put a hand to her hips and leaned into it, giving the image of a haughty woman chiding someone. "That joke was bad and you should feel bad about trying to follow through with it."

Edward grumbled, before he turned around and began walking. He followed suit, with Nero chuckling right next to him, and Ellen quietly walking a few steps behind all three of them.

"Anyway, the Celestial river won't work because we can't even build a boat to use it to travel in between islands. That's why we use teleportation lacrimas. And also those flying leviathans, but that's a story that I have no idea about at all." He wanted to question what happened to the people that were transported to those islands, but he held back. Most likely they had chosen to live on those islands themselves due to the lack of space on this floating island.

"And this Solar… We have never heard of this. Are you saying we can harness the power of the sun as if we were plants?" He… didn't know the answer to that. He was a mechanic sure, but he didn't know how solar panels were made, nor did he have a chance to fix one when he was back on Gaia.

"Sorry," He amended. "I don't really know much about that energy source." Edward nodded at him. It was then he noticed that they were in the end of the hall already. He stopped, making the other three stop with him.

"So," Nero spoke up, looking at him. "What's your plan?"

He frowned. He didn't have one. They had just begun walking through the castle when they had exited the prison cell, making sure to lock in Byro in there for safety measures. Truth be told, he hadn't the first clue on what he should do. He only had the barest information about the king's plan, and from what he knew, it involved a cannon of some sort, and the crystal island floating just above them.

"We should…" He paused as he thought of what they should do. Nodding his head as he found a course of action, he spoke up. "We should get to the cannon. From there, we'll figure things out."

He looked at the three expectantly, only to see them all looking at each other, and from their demeanor, he could tell what they were all thinking. "Do any of you guys know where the cannon is?"

He turned towards Nero first, who shrugged his shoulders. And then Ellen, who shook her head. And as he looked at Edward, he heard him say "Sorry." He let out a sigh, before he looked to his left, and then to his right. There were currently two hallways that lead to who knows where. And he could take one at random hoping that was the right way. Still, he didn't know the halls of this castl-

"This way." Nero suddenly began walking down the left hallway. Ellen and Edward moving in step with him. He blinked, before he followed suit. And before he could ask Nero a question, he was already answering.

"The other hallway leads to the mess and the infirmary. The only two rooms down that particular hallway, and the end of that hall is a dead end as well." He began. "This way," Nero gestured to the hall they were walking on. "Leads to the main entrance. From there, all the halls where the major rooms are connected to are accessible."

He was thankful he had some people to help him through this castle. After his own previous escapade with Rin, Archer and Saber, he was pretty sure that he would have gotten lost if he had escaped before they arrived.

Soon enough, they walked into a large open room with a single large staircase that led up to the second floor. The largeness of the room coupled with the ornate decorations and the large staircase reminded him of the Einzbern castle. But he noticed that the place he was in now had more halls that were connected to it then that castle. In fact, from his position after exiting the hall they were in, he could make out six hallways just on the first floor. He looked up at the second floor and the balcony, and noticed eight more open entrances to halls that led to other parts of the castle. He looked up even more, and saw that the ceiling was insanely high up, almost as tall as a ten-story building. Each floor had its own balcony that had its own hallways, and could be used to overlook the entrance. Overall, the entrance to this castle was definitely larger than the Einzbern one, even if they looked visually similar on the first two floors.

"So," He turned towards the trio in front of him. He looked over at Nero, who had stopped right in the middle of the room and had turned around and faced them. "Which way do we go?"

He blinked, before he felt his eyebrows rise in surprise. "Weren't you the ones leading me to where the cannon is?" He asked his voice holding a bit of incredulity.

Nero shrugged. "Sorry, but like we said, we have no idea where the cannon is." Nero admitted. "We're grunts; we're not privy to such delicate information. And if we were, we wouldn't have been assigned to you, but to the cannon."

He let out a sigh. Okay, well, they could still make this work. All they had to do was-

"Don't say we're going to go through all the halls." Edward suddenly said. Well, there goes that idea. He had to admit though; it wasn't really a good idea to begin with. There were only four of them, and there was eighteen hallways they would explore on the first two floors. That wasn't even counting the other levels.

So now they were stuck. Maybe if they left the castle and went around the entirety of it they would see it?

"From what we know," He turned towards Ellen. She had raised the visor of her helmet and had placed a finger on her helmet's chin in a thinking position. "It's a cannon."

He blinked, before he had to close his mouth and bite his tongue to prevent him from saying something. Okay, there was no need to say the obvious, and he didn't need to exclaim that she was pointing out the obvious. Let's just wait to see where she goes with this.

"Well duh," Turns out he didn't even need to clamp his mouth shut, as Nero was thinking on the same lines as him. "It's called a Dragon Chain Cannon. Come on, that doesn't help us- Ack!" Nero grunted as Ellen reached up to his head and smacked it.

"Keep quiet and listen." She ordered. Nero reluctantly closed his mouth, but not before mumbling something under his breath.

Ellen exhaled as she shook her head, before she turned towards him and Edward. "A cannon isn't for decoration. It's supposed to be aimed at something. So we have a general idea on where the cannon might be." He got it, since it was a cannon, it was probably somewhere high, somewhere where it has a clean shot. Still, that was vague; it could be aiming at a multitude of-

A memory appeared in his head. He remembered the bright light that had fired at the army of Exceed and had turned them into another giant crystal. From his position during that time, he could figure that it was on a higher level than the cell, which was twelve stories high, and it was also behind the prison tower.

"I remember a bright flash of light that appeared over the prison tower that turned the army of Exceed into a crystal." He spoke up. "I'm not exactly sure if that was the cannon, but we may as well look into it right?"

"It certainly has merit." Edward nodded his head. "But the problem is that it might not be the cannon that we're looking for. It's called a Dragon _Chain_ Cannon right? What does a laser have to do with anything?"

He turned towards the other two, and saw that Nero was merely looking at them with a confused expression. Ellen on the other hand, was shaking her head.

"From the name, it might certainly be misleading." She spoke up. "But it's also our clue. It's called the Dragon Chain Cannon for a reason right? Maybe it's supposed to chain a dragon by firing a chain from a cannon. But what if it wasn't meant for that?"

"Dragon Slayer magic." He turned back towards Edward, who had said those three words with a hint of realization in his voice.

He saw Ellen nod her head. "Dragon Slayer magic is the pinnacle of magic. It has infinite uses, from powering our homes, to firing a laser that can turn an entire army into a giant lacrima." That was… seriously overpowered. What kind of magic can do that? "The problem is that it's extremely rare and when found, only a handful of lacrima crystals can be made with it."

"So how does Dragon Slayer magic work into this? If it's so rare, how can the king have a cannon powered by it?" He asked. He turned towards Edward, and then Ellen, and then Nero. He saw their looks of anger and incredulity and immediately understood.

"It seems that the king is a hypocrite." Edward sighed. He agreed wholeheartedly with that. "Nonetheless, we should keep moving. The prison tower is the second highest tower in the palace grounds. The only other tower that is taller than it is the observatory. If we're to find the cannon that had fired on the army of Exceed, then we should start there."

He nodded his head. He was about to ask where the observatory was, but his senses alerted him that an attack was incoming. "On the floor!" He barked out before he dove for the stone floor.

Edward and Ellen immediately followed his lead and dove for the floor. But Nero, who had only been scarcely paying attention to their conversation, only had time to turn towards them and mutter a quick 'huh?'

Those were his last words. Not the most inspiring, nor was it the most amazing, but those were still his last words. And he would remember them, because after he had muttered that word, he remembered him screaming in agony.

A large ball of fire impacted on Nero's armor. He remembered the armor that the knights wore in Edolas. They were heavyset for the knight, and they would protect them from the magic as they kept the peace.

Yes, the armor that the regular knights wore, along with Edward and Ellen, could protect them from magic as they dealt with the abusers of it. The problem was, Nero had a smaller figure than the two, thus, his armor was lighter and much lither. It would protect from regular magical spells, but the fireball that had impacted on Nero was far from regular, and even from his figure on the floor, his felt his back burn as an explosion rocketed over his head. It lasted for a second, before the burning sensation died down, and when he looked back up, it was to see Nero's legs… and only his legs.

The legs were still upright, but behind them there was nothing but a large black mark that looked eerily like a shadow. Only the shadow wasn't a shadow, but a char mark. The rest of Nero's body was probably in it as ash.

Soon, he heard Ellen scream, and Edward shout "Nero!" in anguish. He felt anger at seeing his friend – though only for a brief moment – as nothing but char on the ground. But he reined it in as he turned around and stared down the hallway where the attack had come from. He saw that someone was standing in the middle of it, with a staff in his hands, and a look of clear and unrepentant glee on his face.

It was Byro.

He let his circuits flare, before he steadily stood up. He heard Ellen sobbing from behind him, while Edward was doing his own version of it. He didn't turn towards them, as doing so now would leave his back open. "Guys," He began, hoping to get through to them both. They either ignored him, or didn't hear him.

He grit his teeth before he tried again, more forceful this time. "Guys!" He shouted. He heard the sound of metal groaning. He then heard footsteps, before he heard the sound of a sword getting pulled from its sheath; this was followed by the sound of a fire igniting. He turned to his right, and saw that it was Edward who had drawn his sword and had ignited it.

"Let me-" Edward began, his voice holding anger and contempt, but he cut him off before he could finish.

"No." He could hear Edward snapping his neck towards him in surprise, mostly due to his metal armor groaning as he did so. "I'll fight Byro. You take Ellen and look for the Dragon Chain Cannon."

"But-" He shook his head and cut him off again.

"Like you guys said. You're just grunts, Byro is a Knight Captain, from your description of knight captains, and you'll sooner die like Nero than do anything else." He explained before he turned his head fully and stared at Edward. "Go, I won't be long."

Byro seemed ready to object, but before he could answer, Ellen rushed past both of them and charged down the hallway. He cursed under his breath, before he faced forward and went after the enraged woman.

"Rahh!" Ellen shouted as she drew her own sword and ignited it. He didn't notice the look on Byro's face, but he could make tell that he was pointing his staff towards Ellen. He clucked his teeth as he poured prana into his legs.

He caught up to Ellen just a second later, before he pulled her arm and jerked her to his right. Just in time, as Byro had already finished aiming and had fired off another fireball at them.

The fireball barely missed him, and thanks to his intervention, he had managed to pull Ellen away from the same fate as Nero. The fireball, like the one before it, was intense in heat, and he felt his skin sizzle a little as it passed his arm, but otherwise, he remained unscathed as it soared past him.

He heard it impact a wall, before the sound of an explosion rang out. He glanced behind him, and saw that Edward had jumped to the side, and had avoided getting swallowed by the fireball and the explosion that followed it. From across the hall, he saw that a large piece of it was crumbling, along with some parts of the second story balcony. The hallway on the other end was now inaccessible as rubble had fallen and had blocked two-thirds of the open entrance.

He turned back to Ellen, before he jerked her upwards. He then pulled her back, back towards Edward, without turning around. "Don't just die for nothing." He spoke rather coldly, but he needed to emphasize this. Getting angry wouldn't do anyone good. He was just as angry as her if he really thought about it, but keeping a calm head was the best course of action.

"But he killed my friend!" Ellen argued. He didn't turn around as he shook his head.

"Then getting yourself killed right after him will help?" He grit his teeth as he felt his own anger flare. "Let me handle Byro, you and Edward look for the Dragon Chain Cannon." He then sighed, before he shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is my fault, but Nero's death will be in vain if you don't keep fighting for what you believe in is right."

Ellen didn't respond immediately, but after a few seconds, she muttered something under her breath that was barely audible to him. "This is on your head." She muttered before he heard her metallic footsteps running down the hall.

Yes, it was. If he had run forward and tackled Nero, he would still be alive. Another life he couldn't save. But he could at least save the other two knight's lives.

"Trace On." He didn't pull Kanshou and Bakuya from his armory, and instead, pulled out four swords, three spears, and five halberds right behind him. He took a step forward, and the weapons that were floating behind him walked with him. His circuits were still good, and he could project more swords if he wanted to.

When he was fifteen meters from Byro, he heard him speak to him. "Traitors, nothing is more disgusting than people who can't continue to live with the ideals they swore upon." He felt his eyes narrow as he glared at the small man.

"They're continuing with their ideals." He countered. "Their ideals have them helping as many people's lives as they can. Not just for the side they're on; you have no right to criticize them."

"And I suppose you know a thing or two about that?" Byro questioned him before he pulled the staff in his hand and tapped the butt of it on the stone floor. "After all, your word doesn't seem to hold too much weight, seeing as you would turn your face to a promise so casually."

"I never promised anything to your king." He shook his head. "I was under the impression that the king wanted to save as many lives as possible."

Byor gave him a look that asked if he was crazy. "I see that you're more foolish than I first thought." Byro shook his head. "Of course the king wants to save people. That's why we're doing what we're doing."

"By killing multiple others?" He countered.

"By preempting our enemies before they strike!" Byro responded immediately. "And if that means we have to use other people's lives as a power source, then so be it. Losing lives that aren't connected to us won't be our problem anyway."

He felt himself seethe, but he kept as calm as he could. He took a deep breath, before he asked another question. "How did you escape?"

Byro snorted at his question. "The cells in our castle were meant to hold people without magic. That's why the anti-magic cuffs were invented. So people with magic coursing through their veins cannot escape." Byro then gestured towards his staff that was a head taller than he was. "My staff has enough magic to blow through multiple stone walls at full power. What's a wooden door to it?"

That made sense. The people in Edolas didn't seem to have magic in their veins, and only had weapons and tools that could do magic. So if they had prisoners, it would make sense to confiscate such items and leave them in regular cells. But that didn't account for those _with_ magic in them, so that's where the magic cuffs came in.

He shook his head to clear himself from his thoughts. He stared at Byro, before he raised a hand above his head. "I'll give you one chance." He warned him. "Surrender now or I will kill you." That was the truth. He hadn't killed him in the prison cell because that would be killing in cold blood. Killing during battle was different, with adrenaline coursing through your veins and your head going on overdrive, your main instinct would be to kill your opponent before he killed you. Killing a person lying on the ground however, was different.

He suppressed the memory that surfaced on his mind before he could go crazy. He didn't want to remember that, he didn't need to remember that. All he needed to remember about that time was that he had killed someone precious to him, and had done so when she was on the ground recovering.

"Then I suppose you have to kill me then." Byro responded before he raised his staff and pointed it at him. A magical circle appeared over its end, before a great fireball was launched at him a second later.

The first two fireballs were varying in power. The first one was fast and quick, meant to take them by surprise. It had just enough power in it to destroy a person in armor that could withstand magic to some degree. And it was effective in killing Nero.

The second fireball was much bigger and much more powerful. It was meant to kill Ellen as well as him in the resulting explosion. Had he not grabbed Ellen and pulled her aside, the fireball would have hit her and engulfed her in flames, as well as him. He would have survived, he wouldn't die just from that after he had survived Archer's own attempt at ending his life along with Saber and Berserker, but he would have been severely burned and wouldn't be able to fight as effectively as he could.

This fireball on the other hand, was just filled with magical energy. It was probably three to four times bigger then the second fireball, and even from fifteen meters away, he could feel the heat, it was unbearable, and from the trail that it left behind, even the stone couldn't take it as the walls and floors began melting along with the decorative metal armor on the sides.

He raised his hand, and muttered his own spell. "**I am the Bone of my Sword.**" He felt the world shift slightly; he felt his Od begin to saturate the entirety of the hall as well as outside it. But that didn't stop the fireball; no, he still needed something that would block it.

He found it quickly; it was one of the strongest defenses he could have that equaled seven fortress walls. He called for it, and it quickly responded to him. "Rho…" He felt his circuits flare as it began to give shape to the shield. First, one wall, one petal, and then two, then three, it continued until a flower that had seven petals formed. "Aias!"

Seven petals, with seven fortress walls. Each stronger then the last. It felt strange, it was supposed to be imperfect, supposed to be a rank lower than the original. But somehow, he, the one that faked even Avalon and Caliburn, he couldn't tell the difference between this and the real one.

His gradation air wasn't as strong as Archer's, it was never as strong as Archer's. But this felt different all together; it didn't feel like gradation air at all. It was a projected shield that was for sure, but it didn't feel… fake.

He focused back on the oncoming attack. He would figure this out later. He raised his left hand and put on his right wrist to support his right hand. The fireball impacted, and he immediately felt a wall shatter.

It didn't really surprise him, Byro made mention that the spell he used could go through multiple stone walls at full power, and this was probably what he was mentioning. Rho Aias might have the strength of seven fortress walls, but fortresses were made of stone.

He felt pain on his right hand, but he didn't budge. The fireball met the second wall, and it held for a second, before it shattered. He was pushed back a little, before he steadied himself. He knew that was where it would end.

The fireball met the third wall, and it exploded. Engulfing the shield and the walls around it in an explosion. He felt the third wall shatter, before the shockwave met the fourth wall, thankfully, it didn't budge.

At this point, his could feel his arm hurt like hell, but he didn't care about it. What he was surprised about was the fact that the fireball managed to blow through two walls, before exploding and taking a third. Not because he thought it would do less, but because he thought it would do more.

He felt the inferno begin to fade, and with it, the heat. He looked to his left, and then to this right, and saw that the explosion had blown through the walls on either side of him, he bet if he looked up right now, he would see a giant hole there as well.

When the inferno fully died, he let Rho Aias dissipate. He could see the look of surprise and shock on Byro's face, but he didn't let that distract him from the fight. When Rho Aias fully disappeared, he let the weapons floating behind him loose, firing them at Byro at speeds that any man would find alarming.

Thunk!

He actually had to blink in surprise at what happened. The first sword arrived in two seconds, and it had inserted itself deep into Byro's head, this was followed by the rest of the weapons congregating upon his small body. The splatter of blood and gore was second on his mind as he couldn't believe he had just won the fight.

When the last weapon embedded itself into Byro's small body, he let it stay for a second, just to make sure the body didn't disappear or that Byro was still alive, before he let all of the weapons dissipate. He then tentatively walked towards the body, actively avoiding the uneven rubble on the floor from the previous show of power from the small man, before he arrived to the small man's body and loomed over it. He then knelt down, and carefully placed his left index and middle finger to the small man's neck, checking for a pulse. There was none, and he was relieved. Not because he thought he wasn't dead – the man had a hole on in the middle of his face, and his entire body was filled with holes that oozed red blood – but because he thought Byro would be fooling him and would attack him. Thankfully, with him checking the pulse, and the body, he was one hundred percent sure that the man was dead now.

It was anti-climactic as anti-climatic fights could be. But then, perhaps he hadn't expected him to have a shield that could defend against a castle wall destroying fireball. Sugarboy already said that he knew what he could do, but that was with weapons, he was still a regular person. And his recent visit to the infirmary had confirmed that.

He then looked over the rest of the body, he didn't blink as he saw the wounds on the small man's body, he had seen worse when he was fighting Archer, and most of those wounds were on him during that fight. He saw the staff Byro had been using on the ground, just inches away from his fingers, he pushed it away with his left hand, better safe then sorry, you never truly knew when someone had enough life to do something outrageous, he should know, he had a lot of experience on that field.

He then checked the small man's pockets, hopefully, he would find something that would help him answer some questions. He checked the man's left pocket, and found nothing, and then he checked the right pocket. He felt something cold and metallic inside it, before he pulled it out. He stared at the item, it was a key, it was also gold and it had a symbol on the butt end of it that he recognized as a dragon. Could this be something connected to the Dragon Chain Cannon?

He let out a sigh, well at least he found something. He stood and turned around. He clutched his right arm, as he felt a sharp pain erupt from it. He probably cracked a few bones after that, one of the cons of using Rho Aias, as the shield gets more damaged, the user gets more damaged. Just a small price to pay for defense.

Now, he would need to catch up to those two. Hopefully, they weren't far, the fight didn't last too long anyway. They mentioned a tower taller than the second tallest building in the castle grounds… he could find that. He just needs to get outside.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be any little girls blocking his path with a hulking Berserker this time.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

Turns out, they weren't that far from him. In just three minutes, he had caught up to Edward and Ellen outside on the castle's open grounds.

Their looks of surprise and confusion told him that they didn't believe he had won at all. And to be completely honest, he didn't believe it either. But a win was a win. "He's dead." He told them both, and they both blinked at his declaration, before Edward stepped forward and gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you sure?" He asked him, and he nodded his head in reply. He then took out the key that he had acquired from Byro's body, and showed it to them both.

"I got this from his body. Do you know anything about it?" He asked Edward. Edward took the key from his hands, before he raised his visor with his free hand and closely examined the key.

For a second, he just stared at it, before he shook his head with a sigh. "Well, it seems to be a key of some sort, but you probably knew that already." He did. He then looked over towards Ellen, who was staring at the key through her helmet.

"The symbol," She pointed out. Edward turned towards her. "It's of a dragon." Edward nodded his head at her.

"Yes it is, do you think it is related to the Dragon Chain Cannon?" Edward asked. Ellen only shook her head, and he heard Edward sigh.

"I've no idea." Ellen responded. She then cast one last look at Edward, before she turned towards him. He held his breath, before he readied himself to be berated by a woman. Not the first time it happened, but it honestly was his fault here.

He saw Ellen take a step forward, before she bowed her head slightly. He blinked in surprise, but before he could question her, she was speaking. "I apologize."

"My earlier anger was because of my grief in seeing a dear friend to me die." She explained before she straightened herself. "As a knight, I am supposed to take responsibility for my mistakes, and blaming you for something that was wholly our mistake was less than chivalrous."

"But it was my fault." He tried to stop herself from blaming herself. What he said was also true, sure they may have known the dangers, but he simply couldn't save Nero because he was taken by surprise. If he had just tackled him, he would still be alive.

"No it was not." Ellen shook her head. "We knew of the dangers, and we knew that helping you might end in our deaths. Nero may have been a knight, but today, his reflexes proved to be on the slow side, and that has cost him his life." Ellen's voice grew weaker as she spoke that sentence, but he didn't make mention of it. "If you still think it was your fault, then it is my fault just as much."

He made to speak, but Ellen shook her head. "Let us not argue of this any longer. We have lost a friend; our only way of recompense is to finish what we started. Not just for him, but for the lives that might be lost if we do not. It is the chivalrous thing to do. We can grieve later."

He stared at Ellen as she turned her back on him, it wasn't rude, nor was it relieving, but he could feel that he understood her better now. Hopefully, they did get the job they set out to do done, he would hate to see any of the two now with him lose their lives because he thought he could save everyone.

Not that he wouldn't try saving everyone though. He was stupid like that, as Archer and Rin told him before. But it wasn't wrong to help people, to see them smile, that was what he wanted most.

"If you're both done." He turned towards Edward. He held out the key and he took it from his hands. Edward then gestured for them to move. "The observatory is just behind these buildings, and if the cannon is there, it might be heavily guarded, so keep your wits about you." Edward warned him, he nodded his head in reply.

"Then let us not tarry." Edward turned around and began walking. His gait was fast, but he managed to match him. Ellen was a bit slower, and was walking just a bit behind them both.

"The observatory should be right around this corner." Edward said as he pointed towards the end of the hall they were in. The hall was right next to an open area filled with nothing but grass and plants. He likened it to a garden, but that wasn't the case as he could see benches and the like scattered around the area. Maybe it was a courtyard? Like the one he had fallen on when he fell from the tower?

He shook his head and refocused on the job at hand. They reached the corner and turned. He had to look up as he took in the sight of the observatory. It was certainly tall, perhaps the tallest building in the castle grounds. It was a wonder how he had missed this before, before he remembered it was well hidden behind other buildings that might not be as tall as it, but certainly tall enough to hide the building when looking from somewhere close by.

He looked back down towards the entrance of the observatory, and just like Edward had said, there were guards patrolling the entrance, certainly not something alarming, but from where he was, he could make out perhaps seven to eight guards just outside the entrance with five more walking around the open area in front of the observatory.

"We could sneak in?" He looked towards Ellen, and he knew that it was almost impossible to do that.

Aside from the fact that he wasn't good with sneaking, there was also the fact that all angles were covered. They weren't spotted because they were hiding behind a corner, but if they stepped out into the open, they would get swarmed. He didn't want to fight if he didn't have to, and as much as a merit sneaking without being seen was, it was impossible from where they were.

"That's next to impossible." Edward agreed with him. "The place is too heavily guarded, the only way we can sneak in is if we go through out in the open." That was true, there was only one entrance after all, the sides of the observatory tower had walls that separated it from the rest of the castle grounds, and jumping up was never a thing to begin with, he wasn't a Servant.

"Well what do you suppose we should do?" Ellen asked, her voice sounding irritable. He was about to respond, but he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes flying towards the observatory.

"Get back." He whispered to them both as he stuck his back to the wall, they both looked confused, but otherwise, copied his movements as soon as he did so. He then looked over the corner, and saw what had caught his eye.

"It's the rollercoaster." He pointed out as he saw the approaching flying mechanical carnival ride. The ride flew right up to the open area in front of the observatory, and it was immediately swarmed by the guards from the area. They all lined up in two lines, before they saluted the person that stepped out from the ride.

"What's his name again?" He asked as he turned to both Edward and Ellen, who were both looking out from the corner looking rather comical as Ellen's head was right below Edward's, which in turn was below his.

"That's Captain Hughes." Ellen pointed out. "He runs the amusement park, he's also in the top three strongest Knight Captains, right below Lili and Knightwalker."

"From what we know about him, he can use magic to control the amusement park." So fighting him in that park was a big no.

He turned back to the ride, and he saw Hughes carrying a person over his shoulder, the person had pink hair, and was snoring heavily, it was Natsu. Hughes then gestured for the knights to come up to the ride and told them to do something. He watched as the knights moved towards the ride, before they each went to a different car and reached down. One swooped up the girl named Wendy, while another one grabbed Gajeel, the next pulled out Mystogan wearing robes and a hood that was pulled back. Finally, the last one pulled out two cats and carried them by their tails.

"They're all knocked out." Edward pointed out. "That cannon must have had a hell of a punch." Edward commented, and he guessed that might have been part of it. Actually, he thought it was the fall that had knocked out all of them, but that was a small detail. They were still knocked out.

He watched as the group of knights followed Hughes into the observatory, leaving rollercoaster where it was. The knights dispersed as soon as Hughes and the knights carrying the people disappeared inside the building.

He pulled back from the wall, and he was followed by Edward and Ellen. Ellen dusted herself before she stood, turns out she had been on her knees and looking out.

"Well, getting caught just turned even more deadly." Edward commented, and he had to agree with that. He had counted the number of knight captains, and with Byro gone, that left only Sugarboy, Hughes, Knightwalker, and that hairy knight. Though three were currently in the city fighting, he doubted he could fight one truly without being scratched. He had gotten lucky with Byro, he had taken him by surprise with his shield. He doubted he could do that again.

He thought of what they could do, before he looked out of the corner again, he watched as the knights that had entered with Hughes had exited, before they returned to their previous stations and started their patrolling again. He sighed, before he turned back towards Edward and Ellen.

"I've got nothing." He admitted. They both nodded their head in understanding. "The only thing that I can really think of is to brute force our way in. And…" He cast a worried glance at both knights. He was worried about them; he could take care of himself, but what about these two? They admitted they were grunts. And as much as he wanted to have confidence in them, the numbers were against them here, he couldn't protect them while fighting.

"Let's just turn-" He was stopped by Edward, who raised his hand to motion him to stop talking.

"I've an idea." He muttered. "Most likely the people here do not know that we've betrayed them. It was only Captain Byro that has seen us with you, so…" He knew where he was going with this. He watched as Edward reached for the pouch on his left, before he opened it and reached in. He was unsurprised to see a jelly like substance in Edward's hands when he pulled his hand back.

"Do you always carry those things around?" He asked, honestly curious as to why he would have it on his person still. After all, this world didn't seem to have any natural magic users.

Edward's reply was to shrug at him, before he walked over to him and asked him to stretch out his arms. "I already had it in my person ever since this morning." Edward explained to him before he put the jelly cuffs on his hands. "It was meant as an insurance plan if you ever escaped, but since it doesn't affect you…" Edward trailed, but he got the full picture.

"Do you think this'll work?" He asked, not entirely sure if this plan was good, or bad. Edward replied with a nod of his head.

"It'll get us in there." Edward replied. He frowned, not because that was the wrong answer, but because that answer had so many different ways of being true.

"Enough lollygagging," They both turned towards Ellen. "Let's move before word of our treachery is spread." He doubted it would spread, the only person that knew they had betrayed the king was dead and had a hole through his face after all.

But as they were about to exit the corner they were hiding in, Ellen turned around and faced them both. "And for the record, I do not like this plan. It is entirely unchivalrous." Yeah, he kind of guessed that was what she would say.

**XxX**

He was in heaven, fish was all around him, the entirety of Fairy Tail was laughing as they all joked and talked with each other, and he had given the biggest beat down on Gray, who was bowing down to him and saying he was the greatest mage of all time.

"Hahaha! Yeah! You better learn your place ice pick! I'm a thousand times better than you!" He shouted as he chomped down on yet another fish.

"Of course!" Gray looked up from his bowing position and nodded his head earnestly. "You're not just a thousand times better than me, I'm also the weakest mage in existence! It's an honor even being in the same guild, no, the same room as you!" Gray then repeated his bowing. "I am not worthy!"

"Ha!" He laughed jovially as he chomped down on a flaming fish, this one given to him by Mira.

"Oh Natsu, you should consider being in the next photo shoot with me." Mirajane said with stars in her eyes. "After all, you are the strongest and most handsome mage in Fairy Tail, you defeated both Erza and Gildarts in one hit! Your face on next months issue of Fairy Magazine would make us the most famous guild in the world!"

"I'll think about it Mira." He said with a smile, before he moved his head to the right to dodge a sword strike that would have impaled his head. He looked back, and smiled at the woman who had initiated the attack.

"Natsu, fight me!" Erza exclaimed as she re-equipped into her flame empress armor. He only smirked in reply, before he stood and ignited his fists.

"I'm fired up!" He exclaimed before he pointed at Erza. "Get ready Erza, after I'm done with you, you won't even remember your name!"

Erza narrowed her eyes at him. "Big talk coming from the person that is going to wake up." He blinked in confusion, before he shook his head.

"What was that Erza?" He asked, honestly unsure if he had heard right.

"I said, that was big talk for someone that's about to WAKE UP." For some reason, Erza's voice changed to something sounding like Gajeel's.

"Huh?!" He replied. Erza furrowed her eyebrows at him, looking suitably annoyed.

"I said…" She trailed, before she suddenly charged. He was taken by surprise at the speed she showed, before a sharp pain erupted from his ribs as Erza reappeared next to him with right foot on his ribs. "WAKE UP!"

"GAH!" He shouted as he woke with a start. He looked to his right, and then his left, before he realized who had just woken him up.

"Hey!" He shouted as he stood and pointed an accusing- wait, why were his hands together, and why did he have the magic draining cuffs again?

"Told you he'd wake up if you kicked him." Gajeel said, turning towards a person next to him. He followed Gajeel's line of sight, and he saw Wendy looking down with a guilty look on her face.

"B-but it didn't seem right." The young dragon slayer said weakly. He then turned back to Gajeel as he heard him snort in derision.

"Yeah right, since when did Salamander and right ever go in the same sentence without the word 'isn't' in the middle of it?" Gajeel said with a shrug. He heard Wendy whimper slightly, but he ignored it as he pointed an accusing finger at Gajeel, finally remembering what the iron dragon slayer had done to him.

"You kicked me!" He shouted. Gajeel only gave him a blank stare, before he nodded his head.

"No shit." Gajeel said with a smirk. He was about to shout obscenities at him, particularly about how he could only get a kick in because he was asleep, but he stopped as a question popped into his mind.

"What happened?" He turned towards Wendy and asked. When he did turn his head, it wasn't only Wendy he saw from his vision, he also saw Happy and Carla, both of which had their own cuffs on them, and were walking on the ground. But that wasn't all, behind the two, and significantly taller than the both of them, was another person he knew. Mystogan, on his hands were regular cuffs, like regular metal cuffs. But when he scrutinized the not-Jellal, he noticed that the staves he had on his back were gone. And his hood was pulled back as well, revealing his tattooed face for everyone to see.

Mystogan heard him, and then the blue-haired man turned towards him with a grim smile on his face. "It seems Natsu that our plan has been seen through."

"No. You were merely desperate." Another voice was heard, and they all turned towards the source of it. He turned around, and looked up… and up and up and up.

"Whoa." He said in awe at the giant cannon right in front of him. It was maybe twenty to twenty five meters in height, with the barrel being ten to twelve meters itself. The barrel was connected to a metal base that looked complex, well, complex to him. The base, like the rest of the cannon, was made of metal. But what separated it was the giant hole in the center of it with a floating green piece of lacrima in the middle of it, it was covered by some sort of thick glass as well. He didn't know what the cannon was for, but he knew what the magic in the lacrima was, if not by sight, then definitely by smell.

It was using dragon slayer magic, and from the smell of it, it was a mixture of his, with Gajeel's and Wendy's as well.

"I see you are awed by the Dragon Chain Cannon." He looked back up, towards the voice he had heard just a second ago. He then saw a person with a funny looking hat and a long ass white beard on his face looking down on them from a balcony, he was sitting on a throne it looked like, and he was flanked by a weird guy that looked like Gray right next to him, add to the fact that the weird guy had a white jacket, then the weird guy really did look like Gray. If it wasn't for the small details and that the man smelled much different then Gray, then he would have thought it was Gray.

"You are hardly the first one, but I shall take that compliment." The man on the throne spoke with a smirk on his face. For some reason, he found the man familiar, but he couldn't quite place why.

"You're even more psychotic than I took you for." He turned towards Mystogan, who had been the one that spoke. "Hoarding magic from your own people while killing people that used magic themselves, what kind of hypocrite are you?"

"The one that will save our world." The man, now known as the king of Edolas replied to Mystogan's accusation. "Though I must admit, this wouldn't have happened in the first place if all those guilds didn't use magic so recklessly."

"What are you talking about old man?" He asked, his voice confused and slightly miffed. The king chuckled at him, before he shook his head.

"If the guilds had simply surrendered their magic, we wouldn't have needed to take away yours, nor did we need to actually take from other worlds." The king said with a cold smile. He frowned at seeing that, it was honestly annoying just seeing it.

"I know you." He turned towards Mystogan. Mystogan's voice held a hint of anger in it. "Regardless whether or not the guilds gave their magic, you would have gone through your plan of using the anima."

The king shrugged in reply. "Perhaps, but had the guilds simply gave their magic, then perhaps you all wouldn't be here, but six feet underground." He grit his teeth as he heard what the king had said. He heard Wendy gasp right next to him, while Gajeel clucked his tongue behind him.

"Even your own son?" His head snapped towards Mystogan so fast that he thought it had broken.

"_Especially_ my traitor son." The king replied without missing a beat. He saw Mystogan narrow his eyes, before he shook his head.

"You've really gone on the deep end haven't you?" Mystogan asked, his voice holding disappointment in it.

"Perhaps." The king replied. "But know that I am doing this all for our nation to thrive, for our world to survive. Without me, our nation would have died a long time ago."

"Which is it?" Mystogan spoke fast. "Our nation, or our world?" He turned back towards the king. He wanted to hear this answer, he really did, he knew what Mystogan was asking, and he wanted to know what the king would say.

The king only tilted his head at them, before he spoke with something akin to confusion, but his statement couldn't have been more damning. "They are one and the same aren't they?."

He heard Mystogan sigh. "I see, it is either Edolas or nothing with you. Certainly a patriot, but a gilded patriot."

"Don't assume to lecture me boy." The king's authoritative tone broke no room for argument. "Your grandfather started a war that he could never win. I don't intend to do the same. I intend to win without a war in the first place. And after we win, our kingdom will thrive with a nearly limitless supply of magic for millennia."

"The keyword there is 'nearly'." Mystogan countered. "What happens when the time comes when the magic runs out? What will happen then? Will the cycle repeat? All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable. Our kingdom is dying, let it die. Or better yet, ask for the Exceed for help."

"You would have me trust murderers? The very creatures that caused so much destruction on our kingdom?" The king asked, and he could tell the man sounded incredulous.

"What's the big deal?" He asked, honestly, he couldn't see what the big problem was. The Exceed did all that in the past right? They aren't their enemies anymore right? "All of that's over and done with. What's the point of holding a grudge?"

He saw the king turn his attention towards him. He looked up at the king, meeting eyes with him. He was confused as to why he would hold a grudge like that, if it were him, he would have forgotten the entire thing already.

The king stared at him for another second, before he turned back towards Mystogan, a look of clear disbelief on the king's face. "And just where did you find this one? He may look like Dragion, but he is even more naïve then him." He felt his anger flare slightly.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "Who are you calling naïve?! You're just being difficult!"

The king's response was to shake his head at him. "Honestly, it is amazing how one who has never bore witness to something horrific can so casually say something like that."

He was about to retort, but the sudden sound of doors opening made him turn his head. He looked over at where the sound came from, towards a pair of double-doors, and saw who had entered the room.

"Sire." One of the knights that had entered spoke up. He was dragging behind him the person that he had seen with Wendy and had stopped Knightwalker from doing something to Wendy. What was his name again? Shido? Shuro? Churo? Ah whatever, he'd just call him good guy for now. "We've re-captured Shirou Emiya after he had escaped his cell." The man reported as he pushed forward the man he now remembered as Shirou.

Shirou stepped forward after getting roughly shoved forward. He gave the knight behind him a look of annoyance, before he looked up at the king. "Escaped?" The king repeated what the knight had said. "With Byro with him? And I seem to recall you being assigned as his guards by Sugarboy. Explain yourselves."

He saw the knight look at his partner, before the other shrugged and gestured for the other knight to continue talking. The knight that had been speaking took off his helmet, revealing a rather young face with a hint of beard growing on his chin. The man's dark brown hair was wavy and reached up to his eyebrows, but otherwise, he looked more unkempt then any knight he had seen before. "I am honored that his highness remembers what our jobs are." The man bowed, keeping his helmet on the side. "But that honor does us no good. Shirou Emiya managed to take us by surprise, he had managed to kick Captain Byro, and that had knocked him out. We were surprised he had enough power in his legs to do that, but otherwise, we moved to keep him restrained. Unfortunately, he managed to outmaneuver us, and…" The knight paused, squirming slightly in his place. He looked back up at the king, who had adopted an annoyed look.

"Well? Get on with it man!" The king ordered impatiently. He turned back towards the knight, before he saw the knight sigh and shake his head.

"We were outmaneuvered, and unfortunately, we were all leaning forward towards him. We… uh… hit each other with our helmets. And that was enough to temporarily stun us, allowing him the opportunity to knock us all down and kick our heads in. This lead to us getting knocked out."

For a moment, there was only silence. Even the person fiddling with the cannon had turned around and stared at the knight that had spoken. Then the silence was broken by laughter, he looked up, towards the king, and saw the Gray look alike suppressing a fit of giggles.

"T-that is amazing!" He laughed. "Truly and wonderfully amazing! It seems that aside from magic, Shirou Emiya can use his fists to fight! Truly and utterly amazing! We should have gone with my suggestion immediately, and amazingly strung him on the gallows!"

The king only shook his head. "We would have, had it not been for the attack." The king explained before he turned back to the knight. "Aside from your embarrassing defeat at a man in cuffs, what else happened?"

He saw both knights squirm a little, though he honestly didn't think it was because they were embarrassed. Their body language screamed they were uncomfortable with what they were about to say. "Captain Byro… is dead your highness."

Silence descended onto the room, he was pretty sure you could hear a pin drop if one were to drop at all. And aside from the gasp that escaped Wendy's lips, no one really breathed for the next few seconds.

"Are you saying…" The king's voice trailed, holding a disbelieving and a warning edge in it that hadn't been there before. "That one of my most trusted Knight Captains… died to someone in chains?"

The knight shook his head. "When Emiya knocked us all out, he had probably freed himself from his bonds and had us locked inside the cell. When all three of us-"

"That's right." The king suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something. "There were three of you, where is the other one? Nero was it?"

The knight looked down; he could see the knight's fists tightening inside their metal gauntlets as one hand gripped the helmet under his arms. "He… died as well."

He heard the king sigh. "Very well, carry on with your story."

"As you wish." The knight replied. "When all three of us came to, we found the door to the room destroyed, along with a portion of the wall. We came to the conclusion that Captain Byro had broken down the door with a spell of some sort. A blunder on Shirou Emiya's part as he didn't think to take away any of Byro's weapons." The knight paused before he shook his head. "When we were suitably recovered, we exited the cell and went to find where our ward had run off to. When we found him, he was engaged in a fight with Captain Byro. Well, not really engaged in a fight, more like they were talking with each other. We were too far to hear what they were saying, but when they were done, Captain Byro launched a fireball at Shirou Emiya. We do not know how, but he managed to block the full power fireball from Captain Byro, before he… summoned a number of weapons over his head and used all of those weapons to impale Captain Byro. The fight was one-sided, in favor of Shirou Emiya. Captain Byro… was dead almost immediately after the swords impaled him."

He turned his gaze back towards Shirou. Was he hearing right? He was normally a good judge of character, as told by his friends from Fairy Tail, and he didn't believe that the guy could manage to kill another guy, no matter how evil. He was a good guy after all, and good guys don't kill other people.

"So that was the cause of the explosions we were hearing so close to us." The king nodded his head gravely. "I merely assumed the fighting in the city were taking a turn towards the worse, and that the explosions were caused by Knightwalker, Sugaryboy, and Lili and their opponents. I didn't think the explosions were so close to us."

"Perhaps his majesty should amazingly consider getting amazing hearing aids?" He turned towards the Gray look alike, who was giving the king a big grin. The king for his part, only shook his head and waved off the slight about his hearing.

"So I take it that after the fighting, all three of you, including Nero, tried your hand in capturing someone who had masterfully murdered a knight captain?" The king asked the knight, who nodded his head in reply.

"We've sworn an oath." The knight replied. But then another voice spoke up, this one female, and it came from the other knight that had been silent up till now.

"And it wouldn't have been chivalrous if we simply stood back." The woman said with a hint of pride in her voice. The king nodded his head at her, before he gestured for the other knight to continue.

The knight nodded his head. "We managed to sneak behind Shirou Emiya. But when we tried to capture him, he managed to summon more swords and he then used those swords to try and kill us. Ellen and I managed to dodge them, but Nero didn't, he died almost as quickly as Captain Byro."

The knight sighed, before he continued. "The rest is a blur your majesty. All I remember after seeing my friend fall down with swords in his chest was grief. All I remember was that we rushed Shirou Emiya as quickly as we could, before I managed to cuff him with the magic draining cuffs we were given."

The knight finished his tale as he put on his helmet once more, before he moved just behind Shirou and stood at attention. The other knight, the female one called… uhh, Ellen was it? Ellen did the same, mirroring the actions of the knight that had given the report.

He looked back up at the king, and saw him pondering on the news he had been given. After a few seconds, he made to speak, but before a word could escape his lips, another loud crash was heard.

Everyone turned their heads towards the source of the noise, and what they saw, what he and the rest of his friends from Fairy Tail saw, was a sight that made him angry beyond belief.

Knightwalker was walking forward, her right hand gripping a black spear, while her other hand was pulling on locks of scarlet hair. It was Erza's, the one he knew, the one he grew up with. She was being pulled by the hair by Knightwalker, who confidently strode into the room without an ounce of guilt in her steps.

Behind Knightwalker, a large man in large armor with a large sword strapped on his back. In his arms, a battered and bruised Lucy was held. He couldn't quite make out what the extent of Erza's injuries were, as her body was behind Knightwalker's and was obstructed, but he could clearly make out the cuts and bruises on Lucy, some were even still bleeding, but otherwise, she didn't look like she was on the verge of dying.

The last two that entered… was honestly good news for them, though he didn't know if it would help them or not.

Gray entered of his own accord, no shirt like always, but his hands were cuffed by the same weird jelly that was on his own. But behind him, was a block of ice that was being pushed by two other knights. The ice was surprising, but who was inside it was even more surprising.

It was a man, his face frozen (literally) in shock. A sword was floating right next to the man, and he looked like he had been about to grab it, if he weren't frozen in place. He could see the man in the ice eyes moving around, signifying that he was still conscious, only that he was unable to move or even talk.

"An interesting story." Knightwalker spoke up, before she stopped her walking and dropped the head of hair in her left hands. He watched as Erza slumped down on the ground, unmoving. He could now make out that her regular armor was now unequipped, and that she was definitely unconscious, but he still couldn't make out the extent of her injuries as she had her back to them. At least he knew she was still alive though, he could smell her. Which was always a good sign.

"Though I only caught the tail end of it. Tell me again, how did your comrade die?" He saw from the edge of his vision how the two knights had stiffened. Finally, after a few seconds, the one that had spoken turned back around and stared at Knightwalker.

"He was impaled-" He was cut off almost immediately as Knightwalker reached for something behind him and threw it at the knight. The knight had to take a step back, before he caught the item in his hands and juggled with it.

He squinted his eyes at what he saw, and noticed that it was… a boot. A metallic boot. It looked like the ones the knights wore, but there was something different with it, it was… more lithe he guessed? It didn't look as heavy as the rest of the armor the other knights wore.

"Being impaled implies there is a body to _get_ impaled." Knightwalker said with a smirk. "And believe me, there were no bodies there except for Captain Byro's, so your friend is either still alive and playing hide and seek, or you're keeping something from us." Knightwalker spun her spear in her hands, before she pointed it at the knight.

"Now I suggest you start from the beginning once more. This time, telling the whole truth."

Silence descended onto the large room again. After a few seconds, he heard the king speak up, making everyone else turn towards him to listen to what he had to say.

"I normally do not question my knights' honor. But in this case, I must ask why you hid the way your friend die." The king narrowed his eyes as he stared at the knight with the boot in his hands. He noticed that the knight was clutching the boot to his chest like it was something valuable.

"I…" The knight began. But before he could finish, Knightwalker spoke up once more.

"Why don't we ask Emiya?" She suggested, a smirk on her face. They all turned towards the red-haired man, who had kept silence since he had been brought into the room. "After all, he had been the one that had killed both Captain Byro and their friend right?"

He heard the king sigh. "You would trust the word of someone that goes against our kingdom?" He asked Knightwalker, who only shook her head before she pointed her spear at Shirou.

"No I do not." She responded with earnest. "But I _do_ trust is the word of someone that will not so casually lie about killing someone."

The king seemed to ponder this for a second, before he nodded his head. "Very well." He then turned his eyes on Shirou. "What have you to say?"

For a few seconds, he didn't speak. He only looked up at the king, before he looked behind him to the two knights, and then turned towards Knightwalker. Before his eyes turned towards him and his group. He could hear Wendy 'eep' from next to him. He heard Gajeel nod his head as his metallic body squeaked a little at the movement. And then he saw Mystogan simply stare back at Shirou. He in turn, copied Mystogan and just stared back. He didn't know how to react really. He thought he was a good guy, but good guys don't kill people right?

Finally, after a few more seconds, he saw Shirou sigh. Shirou then looked up at the king, before he spoke four words that echoed around the entire room.

"Trace Off, Roll Out."

**XxX**

**No, I didn't invent that aria, if you know the VN, then you guys should know what comes next. He didn't Trace there, so that means… Well, I'm evil, so y'all just have to wait… for awhile since I'm going to write the next chapter for Zero Night next.**

**Aside from that, Byro really felt like the weakest of the knight captains to me. I mean, aside from defeating Taurus with his fire staff, his other feats aren't really all that impressive compared to the likes of Sugarboy and Knightwalker. Though I'm not underestimating him in the least, he was just taken by surprise since Shirou never really displayed his full powers, so its sort of a given that people will misinterpret his powers as some sort of re-quip mage. Though, that wouldn't be too far from the mark. With the difference being the strength. Re-quip mages had their own pocket dimensions, all well and good. But Shirou doesn't have a pocket dimension. He has an entire dimension under his domain. He is literally as close to a god in Unlimited Blade Works. Though that doesn't mean he's undefeatable in UBW, but yeah, you kind of get the point here. I think. Anyway, people don't understand Shirou's magic simply because they have never encountered the likes of it before. He doesn't create a blades, he creates a world that creates blades. That's a big difference.**

**And I'm not squimish about killing off characters. Though in this case, they were minor characters with small screen times, but that doesn't mean the deaths won't affect the story at all. Remember, Fairy Tail doesn't kill, yet Shirou had shown that he could and would kill if threatened.**

**And about Erza Scarlet losing to Knightwalker. Yeah, keep in mind who was fighting who okay? Lucy was against Lili, which means she loses. I'm not bashing Lucy okay? Just being realistic here. Lili was able to fight Gajeel to a stand still, even winning to some extent, but against Lucy? Anything short of Loki or Aquarius and she loses. And even then, it's a far-fetched idea as to why she would lose. Sugarboy and Gray is a given. But keep in mind, since Lucy lost, Sugarboy and Knightwalker had backup. That means the favor tips towards the team that wins one match first. And unfortunately, Lucy won't be winning against Lili.**

**And yeah, the whole pretending to be captured looks like it came from the series canon, and I sort of figured it out before I even began writing that part. But yeah, there were other conceivable ways of getting in, but honestly, Shirou doesn't needlessly fight people. If he could, he'd choose the path where he wouldn't hurt people at all. And fortunately for him, Edward had just the plan to do that.**

**Aside from that, what did you guys think of this chapter? It's a little longer than I thought, but yeah. I'm quite satisfied with it. If I wasn't I wouldn't be posting it. What about you guys?**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	9. The Proud King, The Haughty Queen

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Lawyer Tom: You… Mother… fucker.**

**Oh, hey Tom. How are you doing? And where's Sam?**

**Lawyer Tom: Dead. Because of you.**

**What? I have no idea what you're talking about.**

**Lawyer Tom: You told us we were going on a road trip, you failed to mention you would be driving in the middle of the desert, staying for half a day, before driving off… Without us!**

**Oh, right. I did do that. Huh. Oh well, all's well is ends well.**

**Lawyer Tom: Wait, no you mother fu-**

**I said it's done.**

**Lawyer Tom: You're getting sued the moment I recove-**

**Done.**

**I've been getting reviews telling me about how good my last two written chapters were, especially my writing. That is the ultimate compliment for me. Is my weekly writing of chapters improving so much that it's becoming good? I've no idea, all I feel is that it is. And it seems you guys feel it too. So I'm extremely happy.**

**Aside from that, Trace Off, well, you'll understand what it is in this chapter. And I did say Rise Before Dusk was getting updated right? Don't worry, it's getting written. But like I said, it holds a special place in my heart, because I wrote it when I was having an extremely hard time with life. So I'm taking extra care of it.**

**And lastly, a warning. I'm on writer's block. So if this chapter has any glaring mistakes or is just downright lackluster compared to the last few ones, I apologize. But as a writer, you don't just skip a day of writing just because you have writer's block; the best way of dealing with it is to keep writing. That's the advice I was given, and that's the advice I'm following. I'll just edit things when I'm done.**

**On with the show.**

**Putting this up here as well as down below: My computer crashed and all of my files (written works, games, other misc.) were lost. I had finished this chapter, and had intended to post it the next day, but fate had other plans and my computer crashed as it was booting up. Thankfully, I use Google Drive for my written works, but as it stands, I had only saved half of this chapter when I last saved it there. So I've written half of this with just my memory, and what I had remembered was on the other half of this chapter. Not really a warning for bad writing because I wouldn't be posting anything I'm not satisfied with, but more of an explanation as to why I've been late with updating.**

**Also, expect newer chapters to pop up less frequently, College classes just started, and I have four majors this semester. With that said, I'll try and keep it weekly, but don't expect too much. I'm only human.**

**XxX**

"Very well," The king said as he looked down on him from his place above. "What say you?"

He didn't have anything to say at all. He only stared at the king, before he looked towards the two knights behind him that had placed their very lives to see their ideals through. He then turned towards the other prisoners, the members of Fairy Tail. Their faces were a mixture of curiosity and indifference. The only one that seemed to show a modicum of positive reaction to him was the blue haired girl Wendy. And for some reason, she squeaked before she tried to hide from him by making herself as small as possible. He recognized a crush when he saw one, but still, it felt… weird to have a small girl have a crush on him.

He then turned towards Knightwalker and her prisoners; the one she had dragged into the room through hair pulling was still limp on the ground, while the blonde was still in the arms of the hairy knight. While the last person, the half-naked guy with black hair was staring at him with the same look of indifference that came from the members of Fairy Tail.

He turned back towards the king. Before, one by one, blueprints appeared in his head, he was calling for them, but unlike before, where they held memories, where they held weight from their sheer presence, where the very existence of these weapons made the world shudder because of their power. These weapons that he was calling for didn't have the presence, even though they were identical in their image and their make.

He was used to copying weapons, of creating fakes that were as close to the original as much as possible. But these fakes, these imitations didn't hold the same weight as the ones he was used to. They had the same image, the same physical manifestations as the weapons of legend, but they didn't have the same experience, the same history, they were empty shells. And unlike the weapons he had copied from Gilgamesh, these were literally empty and fake weapons.

"Trace Off," First, to call for their physical forms. They started forming; blue motes of light appeared above, behind, in front, and around him. But that wasn't enough, these weapons were merely a fraction of how many he had prepared. So he needed another aria, one that will get the figurative ball rolling.

"Roll Out." The gaps in between the weapons that were forming were suddenly filling. From forming one empty sword at a second, it turned to forming ten, then to twenty-two, then to thirty. This wasn't beyond his limits, simply because he had done a lot more against Gilgamesh, and that was with him Tracing the entirety of the weapons the golden hero threw his way.

He felt the weapons taking shape, the blue light that had been enveloping and forming them started fading, and soon, it all disappeared. Leaving only the formed weapons in the air, all pointed in every direction possible and forming a dome around him and the two knights that had helped him so far. Of course, he could redirect where they aimed, but he needed to give a good show. These people respected power, and though the qualities of these weapons were shoddy and shabby at best. That didn't mean they weren't as dangerous, if not from their power, then simply because of their number. This was merely the age old fight of quality versus quantity. And while he would normally prefer the former, the latter was much easier to do.

"I have nothing to say," He began, his voice echoing as the sound hit the swords. The dome of weapons floating in the air seemed to vibrate as his voice rang out, making his voice resonate a tone deeper than usual. "Except Byro is dead, and I killed him, and I wouldn't hesitate doing the same here."

It wasn't the most threatening demand, but he didn't care. The weapons could do the threatening. He looked behind him again, towards Edward, who was staring at him with wide eyes, while Ellen was simply awestruck as her own eyes roamed around the dome.

He couldn't blame them. The number was unlike the one he had done before, where he pointed an armory of Traced weapons at them. These weapons, they weren't Traced weapons. They were merely Projected, and would act as nothing but shoddy bullets. If he had to make an allusion however, it would be that his Tracing would equal a cannon, while his Projecting would equal a machine-gun… a machine-gun that could fire swords.

Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't machine-gun fire Traced weapons, he had done so against Gilgamesh after all, and there was no problem doing that at all now that he seemed to be able to Trace weapon after weapon without deteriorating his Circuits. But doing so would mean endangering more lives than he otherwise wanted. Carelessly throwing Noble Phantasms that could level a building was a different thing altogether from firing a weapon with the same image as that Noble Phantasm without the weight behind it.

"Impossible!" He heard the king shout. "How can you perform any kind of magic when you have those cuffs on you?!" The king demanded, his voice frantic. He just looked up and gave the king a blank stare, before he ordered one sword to fly. Letting another one replace it almost as soon as it flew.

It wasn't supposed to hit anything except the wall next to the king's head, but apparently, he didn't need to aim there.

The sword that flew didn't hit his intended target. With a loud 'clang!' the sword flew end over end above them, before it fell to the ground and imbedded itself on it. And as soon as it steadied itself, it began to disperse into blue light.

"Now, now." He looked at the one that spoke. It was the knight captain right beside the king. "His majesty was just asking an amazing question. You don't have to throw any of your amazing swords at him if you're annoyed." The Knight Captain Hughes said with a slight smile on his face as he dropped the weapon he had used to block the sword to his side.

He narrowed his eyes as he tried to look at it. But before he could Grasp it, it disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Hughes' hands empty.

"I wasn't asking." He declared as he turned his gaze towards Hughes himself. He really wasn't asking, either they surrender, or he starts firing. He had enough control to actually avoid hitting any of the innocents; though firing at everything would be a last resort. He wasn't intending to kill anyone today, but if it came down to it, and they attacked first… well, that would be another story.

"Let's not be hasty here." Surprisingly, it wasn't any of the knight captains that had spoken up, but it was from the group of Fairy Tail prisoners. He turned towards them, and stared at the one who had spoken. Mystogan. "We can discuss this in an environment without those threatening swords." Mystogan tried to sound calm, as if trying to calm him down. He was a bit annoyed, he wasn't about to lose his cool. This was just the only way he saw them listening to what he had to say. Especially after his hasty turnabout.

"Yes we can," He said calmly, but though this seemed to make Mystogan straighten in relief, he didn't let the swords disperse. "But that doesn't mean that everyone will uphold that agreement."

He cast a quick look around, he had noticed the way Knightwalker was standing, any distractions that he took notice of, and he would be on the receiving end of the lightning she was storing in her spear. Mystogan seemed to catch on quickly, before he spoke up again.

"Lower your weapons." He was surprised by the authority in his voice. "We can discuss things in an orderly fashion; no one needs to die here."

"Need I remind you," He looked up towards the king, who didn't even look fazed that he had fired a sword at him no less than a minute ago. "That you and your friends are still chained. I have no idea what manner of sorcery Shirou Emiya has, but it doesn't change the fact that you have no right demanding anything from my people."

"Your people are my people too." Mystogan countered back hotly. "But if you don't order them to stand down, you'll lose all of your subjects before the end of the day." Mystogan's voice was almost pleading now, as if he was begging the king to see reason. He wondered about the first part of his sentence though, the king's people were his people too? What did that mean?

The king seemed to regard Mystogan's request for a second, before he slumped in his chair. "Fine then, I shall listen. But don't expect me to bow to you." The king nodded at him, an act that he didn't return.

"Reverse the magic you did on the people in those crystals." Was what he said first. The king snorted, an undignified action, before he shook his head.

"Unreasonable." The king shot down his demand almost immediately. "If we did so, my kingdom is doomed."

He narrowed his eyes. "Isn't it doomed to begin with?" He rebuked. The king only shook his head.

"Not with the crystals it isn't." The king returned. "With the crystals, my kingdom is guaranteed ten thousand years of magical energy. Who's to say they won't figure out a way to use another energy source aside from magic during those years?"

He recognized what the king was doing. He was trying to touch his altruism, it was surprising he would try something so underhanded, but he didn't let up on the pressure. "Then ask for help." He tried to reason this time. "If you can't do it yourself, ask for help from someone else."

The king narrowed his eyes at him. "Why should we?" The king began with a dangerously low tone. "The Exceed would sooner make us slaves than help us."

He clenched his jaw. What was with people and pride? Was pride worth the lives they had? "What's being a slave to being dead?" He countered, and this caused the king to laugh at him.

"Pride for one." The king spoke up, confirming his suspicions of too much pride. "Something that you are sorely lacking in. And I will not subject my people to slavery, they deserve better than that."

"Are you really thinking about the people, or are you thinking about yourself?" He narrowed his eyes. He took a deep breath to control his temper before he said something really bad. But honestly, the king… it wasn't like he was thinking of the people at all.

"You talk as if the people matter to you, but the way you act feels like you're doing it for self-gratification." He snapped. The king stood up from his seat and leaned towards him.

"And what would you know of leading people?" The king answered, his anger showing. "You who holds no pride, you whose words can be so easily turned upon! A king with no pride is no better than no king at all!"

"And a king that has too much pride is better off dead." He remembered the golden king. The one with pride like no other. He remembered his completely insane plan of using the Grail to cause a world wide disaster, killing billions of people, and letting those who lived become his subjects. The very thought of that angered him to the core, but he kept his calm. That king had been dealt with, and no matter how much effort _this_ one did, he would never surmount to anything like Gilgamesh.

"Enough!" The king shouted. His angry voice reverberating around the large room. The king took a deep breath, before he sat back on his seat and leaned back. "It is obvious we will not see eye to eye. It is even more obvious that we will not reach a compromise." He noticed how Hughes seemed to tense in his position, he turned his head slightly to the side, and saw Knightwalker and the hairy knight tensing as well. He knew what was going to happen next, and readied all the swords he had Projected. If a fight was inevitable, he would make sure he defeated the ones that needed to be defeated, no innocent blood would be spilled if he had any say in it.

"So, if a compromise isn't foreseeable, then we shall have your hea-"

"Hey." The king was interrupted by a man's voice. He turned towards the voice, and was surprised that it came from the pink haired man Natsu. He noticed that the other knight captains had also stopped their tensing, and looked towards Natsu with confusion in their own eyes.

It was then he noticed that Natsu was looking at him. He blinked, before he spoke up. "Me?" He asked, unsure if Natsu was indeed talking to him.

Natsu nodded his head at him. "Yeah, you." Natsu confirmed. He looked at him for a second, before he gestured for Natsu to continue. He wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't important… right?

"Did you really kill someone?" Okay, maybe not. "I mean, you're a good guy right? Why would you kill someone?"

It took him a second to realize that the question was genuine and wasn't at all mocking. Before he scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to answer that question. "Because if I didn't he'd kill someone else." The way his voice sounded actually made it out more like a question than a direct answer, and that was the only answer he could give honestly. "He already killed someone that I considered a friend, I'm not going to let him do the same to someone else."

His answer seemed to make the pink-haired man scowl at him. "But it's not right," Natsu insisted. He frowned, he knew that it wasn't right; he didn't need someone else to tell him that killing people was wrong. But he hadn't been the first to attack that had been Byro, and sometimes taking the path of killing someone was the lesser of two evils. Like with his fight with Gilgamesh. Honestly, if they hadn't killed that arrogant king, Gilgamesh might have pulled off another stunt even more contrived than the one he already had. Like if he couldn't have the world, then no one else will.

He shook his head at Natsu. "You're right." He admitted. "But that doesn't mean that leaving him alive would have been right as well." He countered. "If I didn't kill him, he'd have killed my friends, yours too if he got what he wanted."

"But you don't know that!" Natsu snapped back at him, he blinked in surprise, not at the volume of Natsu's voice, but the sheer vehemence in it. "You could have talked to him! Knocked him out and took all his weapons! You didn't need to kill someone!"

"Sometimes…" He licked his lips. Honestly, what he was saying was dangerously close to Archer's way of thinking. And the conversation itself mirrored what he had when he had been fighting Archer as well. "Sometimes not killing someone can be just as bad as killing someone." He answered honestly. That was… That was what Archer was subjected to for who knows how long. The path that he took, the path that had betrayed him in the end. What he did wasn't wrong, and his dream wasn't wrong. What was wrong was that he did things thinking he could lose nothing. He wasn't Archer, he knew that walking down this path would mean he would have to lose so much, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try and stop losing things.

He would lose things, but he wouldn't lose sight of his dream. He had arrived at his answer; all he needed to do was see it through the end.

"That's wro-" Natsu was stopped from saying anymore by a hand on his shoulder. He looked at who had stopped the pink-haired man, and saw that it was Mystogan. Natsu seemed to squirm a little, but soon relaxed. Mystogan nodded his head at Natsu, before he took a step forward, turning his eye towards him with conviction.

"Can I be safe in saying that you plan to kill my father?" His father? What did he- Oh. So that was what he meant by the king's people as his people as well. Still, he didn't see any resemblance at all.

He thought for a moment, honestly pondering on whether or not he should kill the king. His answer was to shake his head. "No." That was… that was the truth. Gilgamesh was one thing, but this king was another. He couldn't save the King of Heroes because he had no wish to be saved and was adamant in creating a world with subjects to rule over. This king, Mystogan's father, wasn't Gilgamesh. He may have pride, but he wasn't beyond saving. "Your father isn't beyond saving, but if he keeps going the way he is now, then his people will be."

Mystogan looked down, his eyes closed as if in deep thought. And then Mystogan looked back up, locking eyes with him again. "The Cannon, it can be used to destroy the crystals and revert the people in it back to their original bodies."

"Where did you learn that?!" He heard the king shout, alarm in his voice. But he ignored it and nodded his head at Mystogan.

"But the cannon has to be aimed, and it requires two keys to- mphf!" Mystogan couldn't finish his sentence as he was suddenly struck by Knightwalker, who had appeared next to him in a flash. She used the butt of her spear to strike the back of his head. Mystogan crumpled on the ground, unmoving but still breathing as he could see his back rising and falling slightly.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted as he charged at Knightwalker, who only gave him a raised eyebrow, before she sidestepped the crude strike coming for her. This in turn, made Natsu lose his balance and sent him tumbling towards the ground. Knightwalker took one look at Natsu, before she shook her head and turned towards Mystogan.

"I never liked you in the first place Prince." Knightwalker spat out the words as if reaffirming something. She then turned towards him and started walking towards him and the dome of swords. "Now, where is the key?"

He narrowed his eyes. He knew the key he had picked up from Byro's corpse was important. Now he knew why, the cannon couldn't be fired without it. "What makes you think I have any idea what you're talking about?" He lied, it wasn't his strong suit, but still, sometimes lying was the way to go.

Knighwalker's reply was to ready her spear. "Do not toy with me." Her voice was filled with rage and irritation. He could feel her spear begin to emit power, and he could see that small brief sparks of lightning flashing here and there from its edge. "We searched Byro's body, he was one with a key. We didn't find it. Now, tell us where it is before I fry you!" Knightwalker demanded as she took a step forward.

He wasn't at all disturbed by her threat, though he knew she was serious, he also knew that he could take out everyone else here before he died. With that said however, he also knew that no one needed to die, even the king to some extent didn't need to die.. If he could… if he could convince them to see just what was wrong…

"Stand down Knightwalker." He looked up in surprise at the deep voice that had spoken. He turned towards its source, and saw that it was the hairy knight that had been carrying the blonde. His giant sword was strapped to his back, and his strange eyes never seemed to leave his. "Let me talk to him. We do not need your rashness to endanger everyone's lives."

Knightwalker took a second to scowl, before she straightened herself and let the butt of her spear hit the floor. The power from the tip disappearing as she did so. He let out a sigh of relief at that; he didn't want to start firing the swords anytime soon.

"Hold Shirou." The large knight's voice spoke up. "Let your blades disperse, we shall speak like equals. On my honor, no harm will come to you or your companions as we are discussing."

He narrowed his eyes. Not that he couldn't tell he wasn't lying, but that was only one person. He was in a room with enemies from the King's side, and potential ones from the Fairy Tail side, though, Fairy Tail could be more like wild cards than anything.

"What makes you think we won't come to blows?" He asked honestly. "I don't think you're lying, but you can't speak for everyone. Something tells me that they'd sooner hang me than talk to me like equals." Which was true, the last time he was here, they were discussing ways they could execute him.

The large man's reply was fast and unrelenting. "If they did, they would face me before they got to you."

He… really wasn't lying. He closed his eyes, pondering on what he should do in this situation. Honestly, if these were the knights under Saber's command, he could imagine her being immensely proud, or immensely exasperated. On one hand, they were truthful, they followed the king, and they followed their ideals. In the other, they were… quite unpredictable. Though… he guessed that Saber already had her own problems with her own Round Table.

He turned towards the two knights that had been with him ever since his breakout. "What do you think?" He asked them. This had the effect of surprising both, as he noticed their eyes widen behind their helmets. What? Did they think he'd just go walking forward without at least consulting them? He didn't even have a solid plan yet, and he really wasn't much for leading anyone at all.

For a second, both didn't say anything. But after having a few moments to think, Edward spoke up. "Captain Lilly is known to be the most forthcoming of the knights, second only to Captain Knightwalker. His words aren't taken lightly, and he follows through on almost everything he says he would do."

Ellen nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, out of all the knight captains, Captain Lilly is certainly the most chivalrous one. He is my role model on what a knight is supposed to be like."

So… like Saber then? From what these two had said, he was alike with Saber in the sense that he was honorable and wouldn't throw his word out so casually… but if that was the case, why would he just agree with talking to him like equals? Lilly must have known that he could and would lie if it meant that his agenda – saving people – were put forward before anything else.

Before he could do anything however, the sound of flapping wings made him as well as the other people in the room turn their heads towards the source.

"King Faust." An aristocratic female voice sounded. "I do believe we have much to discuss, what with your recent attack on my people."

He blinked, before his mind registered what he was seeing. Three cats with wings were in the air, coming in from the open observatory slit that the cannon's barrel was jutting out from. One of the cats had a paw waving continuously at them, it was dressed in what appeared to be a brown suit, and its overly long head made it look out of proportion. It had black fur with a spot of white on its chest area. And just where was the neck?

Another cat, this one fatter than the one with the long head/neck. It had on a white suit, and had a small mane that would have made it look like a lion's, if not for the shortness of it. It held up to its nose a bottle, he didn't know what was in the bottle, and he didn't want to know what was in the bottle. Seeing as the cat was sniffing it like… like it had recently gotten its sense of smell.

The one in the middle of the two cats was without a doubt in his mind, royalty. The way she carri – err – floated herself towards them spoke volumes of her sophistication and class. The dress she wore was intricate, and it looked like an Elizabethan period dress with the small hips and the big bottom. Her white fur was shining, and it honestly reminded him of that other cat that had been with the Fairy Tail prisoners. Carla? Yeah, that was what he heard her name was.

"Queen Shagotte." The king spoke up, his voice low and holding a hint of anger in it. "What brings you to our humble observatory?" The king's voice was dripping with sarcasm, but either the cats didn't hear it, or just outright ignored it.

"Don't take us for fools, men." The cat with the lion's mane and the bottle in its hands spoke up. "We've figured out what you have done, and we are here to offer you a chance to repent and turn our people back to normal, lest we attack in force… men."

"Well," It was Hughes that had spoken up this time. "Perhaps if you hadn't so amazingly used so many people, then perhaps we wouldn't have taken that as a threat. I mean after all," Hughes grinned menacingly. "Shoving an entire army to capture three to five prisoners is amazingly over the top don't you think?" Hughes' smile then turned feral. "Unless of course, you require that much people to capture that many prisoners."

He blinked at the implied insult to the Exceed army, before he shook his head. He had to agree with Hughes with that one. That show of force was unnecessary… though he felt like a big hypocrite for saying that since he was doing the exact same thing, except with swords and axes and spears instead of men.

Of course, the cat had a point too. If the Exceed had that much men, then they probably could take out the kingdom of Edolas. No doubt that show of force was just to show off the quantity rather than the quality of the army. No doubt the Exceed had other soldiers that were just as strong as the Knight Captains.

And then it hit him.

There were two of them?!

"Perhaps, men." The cat began, before taking a whiff of its bottle. Why was it saying men of all things? That didn't even make any sense! Even Hughes was better with 'amazing' than the cat saying 'men'. And what was with the bottle? "But you have to admit, shoving an entire army of basic soldiers is an effective strategy if it warrants a Dragon magic cannon getting fired on them."

He recognized the veiled threat. And from the looks of things, even the others could. He saw how Knightwalker tensed up, how Lilly closed his hands into a tightly balled fist, how Hughes just stared blankly, and how the king clenched his jaw to prevent him from lashing out. Even the people that didn't have anything to do with the Exceed and Edolas fight noticed it too.

It was obvious to everyone now that the scars of war ran deep here. And for a second, he wondered if he should get involved. And then he remembered, there were people that needed saving. Innocent people that had nothing to do with the squabble in front of him, yet they were dragged into it simply because of two monarchs that had too much time on their hands. So the thoughts of letting them continue their fighting were squashed, and was replaced by his inherit ideal of saving people.

That was who he was after all.

He turned towards Edward and Ellen, before he raised his hands and pointed his chin at them. Edward immediately recognized what he wanted them to do, and moved to remove the jelly like cuffs in his hands.

He rubbed his wrists as the jelly cuffs fell on the floor, it wasn't that they were uncomfortable, it's just that having his hands restrained for that long a time didn't do wonders for his wrist bones, add to the fact that he had been cuffed more than three times in the last two days for more than three hours, and he would have stiff wrists if he wasn't so used to using swords.

He nodded his head at Edward in thanks, before he closed his eyes and focused. It was obvious that his dome had lost its weight thanks to the queen's arrival. So he dispersed it, the act having stopped the conversation from the king and the queen, and judging from the silence, it also garnered the attention of everyone else in the room.

He frowned, before he reopened his eyes. He managed to catch the last few motes of blue light that had been the Projected weapons, before he muttered the aria he had been using ever since he had been practicing magecraft.

"Trace, on." He dropped both of his hands to the sides, before he felt the familiar weight of the twin Chinese curved swords in his hands. Kanshou and Bakuya appeared, this time, more than just pale imitations. They had been Traced after all, their entire history, their make, their materials, everything was Traced and Unlimited Blade Works gave the needed materials to reproduce them. He looked at both swords in his hands with the barest hints of pride, they were beautiful swords, and though he never had intended for them to be part of his fighting style, the mere fact that their very existence coincided with his, and the fact that Archer's own memories holding the blade suited him perfectly made them the perfect swords for him to use.

In all honesty, he could just make a break for the cannon and aim it at the two crystal islands, but that wouldn't guarantee the Exceed wouldn't retaliate with the king's attack on their soldiers. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, saving everyone was harder than it looked.

He pointed Kanshou up, before he spoke.

"Let us discuss things civilly." He began. He didn't know what he was doing. But his inherit need to help the people was beginning to surface. He didn't want – need – the two kingdoms to restart a war. And as it was, they were on the threshold itself. Just one wrong word could push both kingdoms on the edge, and it would cause war. And what he was doing could push them past that edge. And in war, both sides would suffer. He would know after all, he had been through one already. "We don't need to insinuate insults and threats. We are-"

"You will hold your tongue." The king interrupted him. "Your word holds no weight here. Your sense of honor is askew, and whatever you say can be treated as a grain of salt."

He frowned. He knew that his turn-coating would bite him in the ass later, but he didn't think it would now. Maybe this was why he wasn't Archer, because unlike Archer, who could lie through his teeth and be as smooth as he could be, he couldn't do the same.

But help comes in the most unexpected forms. "Hold your majesty." He turned his head and stared at the one who had spoken up. It was the hairy knight captain Lilly.

"Perhaps Shirou Emiya is right. We do not need to be subtle and hidden. We have in our hands a rare opportunity for two rulers of two great kingdoms in a room. Perhaps instead of hurling threats and insults, we can have a civil discussion." Lilly bowed his head. "All I ask your majesty, is for you to put aside your bias and hatred of the Exceed and be civil for just a few minutes, just enough to have a civil talk with her queen Shagotte."

He was… impressed at how smooth Lilly was. He didn't think he was one for talk, seeing his large frame and even larger sword told him that he was more suited to in the front lines than in the back, discussing and planning things with the others.

Though, he also knew that a leader would order his men while he sat back, while a good leader would lead his men in battle. He guessed that Lilly… was neither of those things. Instead, he discussed things, and he went into battle alongside his men. He guessed that was the only difference between Lilly and Saber. Whilst the latter would lead her men into battle, charging forward with the greatest holy sword in history, Lilly would be alongside his men, leading them as the battle turned.

Both weren't wrong in their ways, but with Lilly… he seemed like he understood what the regular soldiers thought.

For a few moments, there was only silence. He looked up at the king, and noticed how he was frowning deeply. It was obvious from his demeanor that he wouldn't take up Lilly's suggestion, but before he could rebuke the knight, another voice spoke up.

"Very well." He turned his head to stare at the queen, who had been the one to speak. "I am willing to discuss things, if King Faust is willing to do the same." The queen's stare turned towards the king, and he saw her leer. "But know that what you have done is unforgivable. We will have harsh words, and by the end of this talk, I expect everything to return back to normal."

He frowned. She was already making demands before they started talking? Was she so confident in her power that she could just do that brazenly? And from the look the king was giving, it looked like he was even more inclined to refuse and just order his knights to attack the queen and her escort.

"I refuse." He sighed. Of course he would be right at the most inopportune times. His luck had always been bad, and this just proves how bad it really is. "We have nothing to discuss if you demand things from me already."

The queen gave the king a confused look. "It seems like you do not remember your place King Faust." The queen's voice was low and threatening. "That wasn't a request, I order you to-"

"And who are you to order me around?!" The king rebuked, pure anger in his voice. "You're just an overgrown cat that likes to prance around with her wings, you aren't any better than me, or my knights! The fact that you and the Exceed are the only ones that can use magic isn't anything special; there are worlds out there that can do what you do. We will not bow to false gods that want nothing more than to enslave us!"

The king took a deep breath, before he nodded towards Hughes. The knight captain returned the nod, before he pulled out a key from his pocket. "This is one of the two keys needed for the Dragon Chain Cannon to fire." The king gave him a glare as if telling him something, it was lost to him though. At least, until he said the next piece of his sentence. "And the cannon is aimed at the giant lacrima island. With just an order, I can make the cannon attack a chain to one island, and swing the island towards Extalia. Eradicating you and your people from this world."

He paled. So… the key held the lives of countless people, he knew it was important, but he never thought it would be that important. The seemingly weightless key now seemed immensely heavy in his pocket.

"You're insane." The queen spoke in a low tone as she stared at the king. The king's reply was to glare back at the floating queen.

"Am I? I'm merely making sure my kingdom isn't subjected to slavery in your hands. Isn't that what you planned from the start?" The king accused. He wanted to believe that was wrong, that there was at least a monarch in this world that didn't want world domination or supremacy. But from the look that the queen was giving the king, it was obvious the king had hit the nail on the head.

"Where did you hear of that?" The queen asked calmly, though from her demeanor, it was obvious she was far from calm. There was an undercurrent of nervousness in her tone that seemed all the more prominent because of the king's accusation.

"It doesn't matter where, or how, or when. What matters is that its true isn't it?" The king continued to press. "But nonetheless, you cannot do anything. With this, you may not-"

"Oh?" He turned his head towards the new voice. It had been the cat with the endlessly swinging paw that had spoken up, he idly wondered if the cat hadn't stopped swinging its paw, as it was still doing so without stopping. "But you just said you only have one of the two keys that were needed for the cannon to fire right?"

Silence followed that declaration, and it was only broken by Hughes. "And what makes you think that we do not have the other key? Perhaps it is already in the cannon, and is awaiting its amazing other to be placed in as well?"

"Oh I don't believe that." The cat with the endlessly moving paw replied casually. "I mean after all, you would have already fired the cannon if that were the case." The cat sighed. "But we will give you the benefit of the doubt, we don't have any proof that you don't have the key, and so, we cannot act rashly. The same could be said for you as well, if you do not have the second key, then all the cannon is, is a giant decoration."

He recognized the situation for what it was. A stalemate. None of the two kingdoms could do anything against the other without sufficient knowledge. But he knew that he held a piece of information that could turn the tide. All he needed to say was that he had the second key and that would be it.

But… was it the right thing to do?

He could save the people in the crystals, but that wasn't enough, it simply wasn't enough for him. He wants to save everyone. He needs to save everyone. What is the right thing to do?

He had no idea if the kingdom of Extalia was benevolent or malevolent, how would they treat the people of Edolas? Would they work them to the ground, removing their free wills and just ruling over them? Or would they treat them with compassion, helping them and giving them good leeway to continue their own kingdom?

Would he risk the lives of the people of Edolas, just to save the lives of the people in the crystals? Or would he keep quiet, and risk war from both sides?

There was no greater good for him, it was either save everyone, or fail. That is Shirou Emiya, that is how he was, and that is how he will live his life.

Thirty minutes ago, he would never have hesitated in destroying the cannon, but with the recent revelations, it was hard to do that. Doing so would mean dooming the kingdom of Edolas, and not destroying it would doom the kingdom of Extalia, and it had become needlessly complicated with the way things were.

And then there were the people inside the two crystals above their heads. If he destroyed the cannon, he could possibly doom them too, he didn't know if Rule Breaker would work here, simply because the magic the people had in this world worked differently than the one he was used to. Of course, he could use the cannon to fire at the crystal, Mystogan had said that the cannon could be used to destroy the crystal, but it would require aiming the cannon and using two keys. He had one key, and the other key was with Hughes. He could Project the key, but the problem was aiming, and if he failed, the cannon could be used by the king to take aim at the island and slam it onto the kingdom of Extalia.

And the people in Fairy Tail, they were wild cards. Most likely they had been caught up in the conflict between these two kingdoms, and thus, were innocent people that had been causalities of war. And most likely, they were only fighting because the people in the crystals were their friends, and thus, they wouldn't have gotten in between the war between these two kingdoms if they hadn't been taken forcibly from their homes. They seemed like good and honest people, but that didn't necessarily mean they would willingly involve themselves in a war that they weren't supposed to be a part of.

So many factors, so many different possibilities that could happen. None of those answers were inherently wrong, but choosing one would mean losing lives. He couldn't save everyone, he knew that, that had been the answer he had arrived at. But nonetheless, he would try and save everyone, his body would have nothing less, his spirit would never waver about it, and his heart would always choose this as the answer.

So… if the choices he was presented with didn't have his answer, he would create his own.

He turned towards Edward and Ellen, noting that they were both riveted with the verbal exchanges that was happening above them. He tapped both on the shoulder, making them turn towards him with questioning looks.

"What do you guys make of this?" He asked softly, he was aware that the discussion had taken another turn above them, but he ignored it as he had enough information to figure things out. He needed a second opinion of things here, and these two, while not exactly high ranking, they were regular people that knew what the others of their stature wanted.

Predictably, it was Ellen that had spoken first, and her words didn't really surprise him. "I find both monarchs to be completely un-chivalrous." He cracked a small smile at that, of course she would say that. "They talk as if their own power is all that matters, they don't consider at all the effect of their decisions on the people. Whether this be theirs, or their enemies."

Edward nodded his head in agreement. "They are not exactly good people to be leading us." Edward said truthfully. "If they see the people as nothing more than numbers and sacrifices, perhaps it is best if there is another to replace them."

He agreed wholeheartedly. That was why he had made up his mind on what he would do. But doing so would require more help.

"You think you can get me over to Mystogan?" He nodded his head at the fallen blue-haired man, who was being watched over by the other members of Fairy Tail sans the two cats and Gajeel, who were watching the discussion above them with frowns on their faces.

"The prince?" Right, he hadn't forgotten that Mystogan was the prince, that his father was the king above them 'discussing' things with the queen of Extalia. He nodded his head at Edward's question. "Maybe, but-"

"Discussing things here and now of all places can be considered plotting you know." A baritone voice sounded from behind him. He turned, and saw that it was the knight captain Lilly who had overheard their brief conversation.

"But I am not adverse to plotting, not against the king and queen as they are now." He raised an eyebrow at his declaration. Did a knight just openly admit he would plot against his own king?

"Don't act so surprised." Lilly seemed to have seen his confusion. "Normally, I would never dream of betraying my king, as it was his son that had saved me. The Prince then asked me to watch over his father, to make sure he didn't do anything rash. And that meant becoming a knight with an oath. I would never go back on my word, and thus, I serve the king." So he was a spy for Mystogan? Well, at least he knew that Mystogan wasn't doing nothing to help his father's kingdom, still though, what did that have to do with anything?

"It is obvious that the king is power-hungry, almost as much as the queen of Extalia herself." Yeah, he agreed with that. "Maybe it is time I took a more active hand in helping the kingdom, instead of just looking over it and making sure the king didn't do anything rash." Wait, was he-

"I'll help you." He blinked in surprise. For a second, he thought he was joking and was only saying so to get closer to him and the other two knights. But then he thought better and just nodded his head.

He prided himself in seeing the good in people, even though he was subject to bad people and their like, he still believed that people were inherently good inside. Perhaps that was why he had been friends with Shinji for so long, even after the Grail War, and though he wouldn't exactly consider a friend anymore, he didn't consider him an enemy either. It was just the way he wass he supposed.

"First we need to make sure they don't come to blows." He was referring to the two monarchs and their guards. He was surprised that they were still talking, even though their talking had degenerated to nothing more than veiled insults and threats, they at least were still talking and hadn't come to blows. He needed to make sure they stayed that way. At least, until he figured out a better plan than stalling.

"I can handle that." Lilly responded with a nod before he took off his helmet. He blinked to make sure he was seeing right, before realization dawned on him.

"You're an Exceed." He wanted to voice a question, but his sentence came out more as a declaration. Lilly nodded his head at him.

"I was cast down from Extalia for helping a human. That human was the prince, when the queen wouldn't give me a home, the prince readily took me in and disguised me. That is the reason why I am a knight captain in the first place." A small smile was on Lilly's whiskered face. He also noticed a scar that ran deep on his right eye, a scar that was prominent because the fur that was supposed to grow there had stopped growing, making the scar stand out with its blemished skin. Fortunately for the large cat, the scar wasn't deep enough to blind him, but he guessed that if it had been a few centimeters deeper, he would have gone blind in that eye. "Perhaps it is also time I stop hiding."

He recognized the regret in his voice even though Lilly's voice was low. "You don't have to." Of course that was the first thing he had said. As much as a boon as it was that having Lilly help them was, he couldn't force someone to lose their lives just to help them. That was his job… at least, if Rin and Sakura weren't there at least. Rider too if possible. The beautiful gorgon often discloses things to Sakura that he would rather keep private, like how he sometimes practices his cooking late at night just to make sure Sakura doesn't catch up to him… hey, it was one thing to have no pride in his skills as a magus, but it was another thing entirely to have pride in his cooking.

Lilly nodded his head. "You're right, I don't have to." Lilly sighed before he looked up, towards the two monarchs hurling veiled insults at each other. "But perhaps more than I want to, I need to." Lilly nodded his head again as if confirming something. "Because if I don't, then the lives of the innocent will be lost over a petty squabble between two monarchs that don't know how to curb their pride."

He nodded his head in understanding. That he could understand. "Alright," He began. "What I need to do is get to Mystogan, hopefully, without Knightwalker or the others noticing me. I need to talk to him about some things." Namely if he's willing to take the throne from his father and discuss things civilly with the Exceed. From their talk last night, it was obvious that he was much more sensible than his father. But then again, it was with the son betraying the father that they got here in the first place. If the current king – King Faust – hadn't usurped his father's throne, then maybe they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place… but then again, maybe it was a good thing too. If Faust hadn't taken over the throne, then maybe the kingdom of Edolas would be no more, and it would have been annexed by Extalia.

He was taking a big gamble on what he planned to do, a gamble that relied on nothing more than the character of the prince. He had a habit of looking at the good side of people and seeing them as good unless proven otherwise.

Rin calls him foolish for doing that, a sentiment shared by Bazett. Sakura finds it endearing and worth looking up to, same could be said with Rider. Caren… well, regardless of what his view of the world was, he would be subject to her endless teasing. Though he guessed she was more amused by his ability to never look down even at the face of adversity.

He turned back towards Edward and Ellen, noticing that that the latter had an almost worshipful expression on her face as she stared at Lilly. Before he could say something to both of them though, Edward spoke up.

"It seems your show of force was unnecessary." He wouldn't say that. Now they knew he wasn't going to let them do whatever they want. He guessed that the moment the Exceed left, he would be subject to scrutiny once more. Right now though, while the entirety of the room sans them was watching the discussion above, he had free reign to move about without anyone seeing things.

"Maybe." He began. "But I though it was the best option at the time." Out of all options present to him, he could have told the truth, which would have reveled their plan, he could have lied through his teeth and been seen through, or he could have showed power and demanded the release of the people in the crystals.

Hindsight was 20/20, and he was never one for planning. He just… did what he thought was right. And certainly the last option was the best choice for him; he would have been the target of everyone's ire. And if worst comes to worst and he was forced to fight, he could at least help Edward and Ellen escape. That was the least he could do. He wouldn't say he had forced them to help him, that would be undermining their ideals of dying for the people after all.

Still, it was hard thinking up ways to save the most people. It was impossible in some scenarios, but as it was right now, he hadn't made a wrong choice yet. Though, if he had to be completely honest, it was just blind luck.

Edward nodded his head at him. "Whatever the case, me and Ellen will be behind you." Edward turned towards Ellen, who nodded in turn, her eyes behind her visor meeting his.

"We chose this path," Ellen began. "We'll see it through to the end. We've found our answer anyway, it's either we help all the people we can, or die trying. It's a matter of arriving there that's the problem." Eerily, that sounded like his own thought process sometimes.

Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival.

He shook his head clear. Whatever the case, he could at least show his gratitude to these people that stuck with him even after their friend had been killed. An act that he was still rather guilty about. "Thanks. Both of you." He said sincerely.

Edward nodded at him. "No need to thank us. We're only doing what our conscience tells us. And besides," Edward bowed his head. An act that Ellen reciprocated. "If we stopped now, Nero's death would have been in vain."

Solemnly, he nodded his head. "I'm so-"

"Like I said," Ellen interrupted him. "Not your fault. Now, we should get moving. I sense that soon, the king and queen will say something that will further seal the fate of both kingdoms."

"Then I shall go." He turned towards Lilly, who had been the one to interrupt them. "I shall see to it that both rulers do not come to do something that will destroy both kingdoms. Even at the expense of my own life as a knight." He held his tongue before he could say that he didn't need to do that. He held it, because it wasn't his place to tell him what he should do. If he did, he would be a giant hypocrite, an even bigger one than he already was.

So instead of saying anything, he nodded his head. And soon, wings sprouted from Lilly's back, a pair of black pinions with feathers of a black crow. He flapped them once, and then he was airborne, heading towards the end of his life as a knight in the king's service.

He turned around and began walking. "Let's go." He said, and although he was disturbed at the thought of someone sacrificing themselves for other people, Rin had beat it into him that being worried about others doing it and not with himself was hypocritical and that shouldn't be part of his answer.

It was hard though, and he had half a mind to turn around and help the knight captain. But the other half of his mind also told him that what he was doing was the right thing, that letting the knight do what he was doing would help the most people.

If this was what Archer had gone through every time he was called by Alaya, then he knew his reason for wanting to disappear was justified.

But he wasn't Archer, and even though it hurt him seeing someone do something he should be doing instead, he wouldn't regret doing it. That was one thing he would never do.

As he was walking, he passed Knightwalker, and though he knew that she was paying attention to them, her eyes were still riveted towards the spectacle above her. He would have called out to her, but he thought better of it, she wouldn't help him, she had made it clear already. And though he didn't want to have to fight her, he knew it would be inevitable, if not now, than sooner rather than later.

Still, as he passed behind her, he heard her call out to all three of them. "I heard everything." She began, her eyes still looking up at her king and the queen of Extalia with the addition of Lilly in the equation. She didn't look behind her, towards them, and only kept her eyes up at her king.

He frowned. "And what are you going to do?" If she was looking for a fight, he would gladly oblige her, though… he guessed she would have more sense than that.

"Right now, nothing." He was correct then. "But should the king order your termination, know that I will stop at nothing to kill you."

He frowned. "Then why did you defend me when I was brought before him before?" He was referring to her saying he should be locked up instead of being killed outright.

Knightwalker finally turned towards him, her eyes locking with his. He couldn't make out what she wanted to say, and even when she spoke up, he still knew nothing of what she wanted from him. "Don't mistake that for mercy. I would have gladly let you die. But your actions, they scream of someone that genuinely wants to save everyone... and maybe you just can." He noticed the pause, and from the look that Knightwalker was giving herself, she knew she had been discovered.

But before he could call out to her, she turned around and looked back up. "Go, before I change my mind." Her words were forced, and it sounded like an order. But nonetheless, he obliged. But not before he spoke up one last time.

"You aren't evil." He said as he turned and began walking. "None of you are, it's just your king that leads you down that path. That's why I don't view the world as just black and white."

Knightwalker didn't respond, and he didn't turn around to see if she had heard him or not. He had more pressing matters to attend to.

And besides, he had said his piece. And it was true; none of them were inherently evil, their paths just crossed with his. They fought to defend their kingdom, and they did whatever they could to do it. It just happened that the king chose the worst possible way of doing it, while disguising his anger and hate of the Exceed behind his plan of helping his kingdom.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

**And done. Surprised you there didn't I? No actiony parts here, well, there is politics and insults. Not that much different from real life… hah!**

**The king and queen… really, they act like spoiled children in the manga and anime. Still, that's the way their characters are, so that's the way their characters will stay. Changing them to suit my needs would just make me a poor writer if I have to change how a character is to make myself comfortable. A villain should stay a villain, and a hero should stay a hero. No in betweens unless there are reasons for doing so besides 'I don't like this character, so I'll change them'. Even the unrealistic characters, like the ever innocent Wendy and the ever dense Natsu don't need to change. Humanity is never meant to be realistic anyway. People with unending hope will have unending hope. That's the way it should be in Fanfic's or any other written works in general. Good writers will make good characters that they are comfortable with even if it doesn't make sense. While great writers, the truly great ones, will go beyond their comfort zone and make great characters that are good or evil, and make people still love them regardless of whether or not they are comfortable writing the characters in the first place.**

**So with that said, no actiony parts. That'll happen in the next few chapters, namely against the king, and Erza… which one? Heh.**

**Anyway, this chapter has undergone a serious facelift multiple times. Remember the underlined note up top? Yeah, I had lost every single file (My skyrim mods and saves *sob*), and that included the seven other versions of this chapter that I had done an editing storm on. I had to recreated half of this chapter from memory, and hopefully, I managed to convey enough of what I originally wanted to post.**

**With that said, I'm satisfied. I managed to recreate this chapter, and done a rather good (IMO) job at it. What do you guys think though? Reviews are always welcome.**

**Anyway, that's it.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	10. A Father's last thoughts

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except for Edward, Ellen, Nero, and now *redacted*. Also, the dragon's maw is a fictional sword stance that shouldn't be replicated in a real sword fight. It may make you look cool, but it is a figment of my imagination, and thus, if you get hurt and sue me, I will simply say you are a figment of my imagination, which in turn would mean you're part of my being, which in turn makes you mine. Monthy Python logic is flawless.**

**For those that like the Nasuverse or anything made by type-moon in general. I'll give some friendly advice. Don't take information from the wiki. Most of the things in there are inaccurate. If you guys want some deep research material about the Nasuverse, go to beast's lair, and look for the forum thread 'Questions, questions, and more questions' in the general discussion thread. I will tell you that this thread is your friend. The wiki isn't really reliable, and I know for a fact that only one person from Beast's lair actually does work around the thing.**

**With that said, I'm basing most (if not all) my Nasuverse knowledge on what the thread says, and giving a wide enough berth to actually interpret things well enough. Nasu has stated that he doesn't write the nitty and gritty parts of his magic simply because he wants the reader to imagine it for themselves. That's a big go ahead to just interpret it as you will, but not in the case of messing up the characters and how they go about things.**

**I'll admit, I'm guilty of these things, but I try and limit some of these things. Shirou is a deadpan snarker, at least to himself, so he will stay a deadpan snarker and insult himself from time to time. Shirou is also an unreliable narrator, so he will stay that way. And by no means is Shirou powerful enough to kill a Servant (Gilgamesh not withstanding). He at least is peak human, and probably low level Servant class (That is all E to D- ranked in stats, quite a feat actually, since magecraft has a different system of ranking all together), but that doesn't mean he'll curbstomp everyone. His level of Tracing isn't on Archer's level yet, that means even though he could theoretically copy the history of a sword and copy the previous owners' techniques, they would probably be botched. Botched in the sense that Nine Lives Blade Works would probably only have four to five slashes, or Tsubame Gaeshi having only two slashes instead of all three. Botched in the sense that while the sword has the history, he can't wield it simply because he still can't copy the person that wielded its strength. Of course, this applies to heroic spirits and impossible techniques only. The way how something is slashed and how an axe is wielded is still fair game.**

**With that said, Shirou's Tracing isn't something that should be taken lightly at all. AS stated in the first few chapters, he's been Tracing weapons that feel real to **_**him**_**. Plus, he actually can Trace weapons past his normal limits without much consequence now. He is not nerfed, in fact, Shirou is positively buffed. But I'll explain it more in detail as I go along this chapter.**

**This also applies to Fairy Tail characters. So (spoiler, Spoiler, SPOILER) yes, Nakama power ups are here, and they will be staying. That is the staple of Fairy Tail, having the power of friendship to win against impossible odds. (Or 4vs1 you lose, but 1vs1 with the power of friendship, you win.) With that said however, Alexander still has the best power of friendship in anime. While Minato (or Makoto is you want to get all technical) has the best in any game.**

**So just sit back, read, and relax. The Edolas arc (or probably the whole story if I decide to just not include Earthland), will end soon.**

**Also, tidbit, air is heavy. The only reason we don't feel the weight of it is because of air pressure. We have air inside our bodies that counteract the air outside. And the air pressing down on us is actually equivalent to the weight of a grand piano. If you were in a vacuum on Earth, the air would try its damn hardest to get inside that vacuum, causing the weight to grow six times heavier. And that is your physics lesson for the day.**

**XxX**

"Is he alright?" He asked the team of Fairy Tail mages as he approached. He noticed that not one of them tensed, and just stared at him with slight weariness, as if unsure of what to make of him.

Well, most of them. The pink-haired man Natsu was staring at him with deep frown on his face. He wasn't sure what to make of the frown, so he didn't pay much attention to it. While Wendy… was trying to shrink into herself.

"He's unconscious." He turned his head towards Gajeel, who had drawled out those words as if being sarcastic. "What do you think?"

It was his turn to frown. He wasn't exactly sure if Gajeel was being mean spirited to him, or if he was just responding to the question as if he normally would.

"Hey Wendy," He turned his head back towards Natsu, and saw the pink-haired man pointing at the unconscious prince before he spoke up again. "You think you have enough magic to wake him up?"

Wendy, who had been trying to shrink within herself ever since he started approaching, suddenly straightened herself and cast a worried look towards Mystogan before she nodded her head.

"I'll try." Wendy said quietly, before she made her way over towards Mystogan's fallen form. Natsu followed right behind her and helped her flip the unconscious man's body so that he was facing up, giving Wendy easy access to his body for whatever it was she was about to do.

He took a step forward, before he spoke up. "Anything I can do to help?" He offered almost automatically. Normally, this kind of reaction to someone in need of help would make people scowl and berate themselves, but to him, this was actually one of the things he was proud of himself about. He didn't need to think twice to help someone, and he just automatically did so.

Some people would find it endearing, and even more people would find it annoying. But they didn't matter; he was doing the right thing, and having himself as the judge to his own actions was better than letting others do it for him.

Wendy looked up at him, surprised by his offer to help. She opened her mouth to say something, but her voice came out as a barely audible squeak instead. "…s"

He blinked, before he furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't catch that. "Sorry, what was that again?" He asked, stepping forward and kneeling down right next to Wendy. His eyes were on Mystogan's unconscious form, while his ears were listening to Wendy.

So it was a surprise that instead of hearing Wendy speak, she squeaked, and jumped away from him. He knew she jumped because he heard her kick off the ground. He turned away from Mystogan and gave Wendy, who was now a considerable distance away from him, a confused look. "Are you okay?" He asked. Was her crush on him really that big? I mean, they hadn't at all properly met; the only time they've talked was when she had been locked in a cell.

"I-I-I'm fine!" Wendy shouted hastily as turned away from him and faced Mystogan. She put out her hands in front of her and over Mystogan's head, before wind suddenly started swirling around them.

He watched in fascination as the wind suddenly started whirling around them. It wasn't really disruptive, as it was more like a gentle breeze than anything else. It was more… refreshing, like the feeling you got when you got on top of a hill and breathed in deep.

He saw Wendy's hands begin to glow, and watched as the wind seemed to coalesce right below Wendy's palms. He heard Wendy mutter something under her breath, but never got to understanding it as Mystogan's eyes suddenly opened, before they suddenly started scanning his immediate vicinity. He noticed that instead of being on edge like he expected Mystogan to be, he was instead relaxed as he scanned his surroundings, he didn't know if it was his unerring trust towards his comrades, or his confidence in his own skills to get him away from anything, but regardless of those reasons, he had to give Mystogan credit, if he continued to act like this, then maybe what he was going to do wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Natsu? Wendy?" Mystogan sat up, shaking his head slightly to clear away any figurative bog that was in his mind. "Are you alright? Did anything happen to you two?" He smiled a little, he was the one that was knocked out, and the moment he regains consciousness, his first question was whether or not his friends were okay. Truly weir- wait.

His smile turned into a grimace. He knew of someone else that's like that. A person that put others before him, that didn't care about his own self, but cared more about the people around him. He had just called _himself_ weird.

"Are we okay?" Natsu's voice snapped him back from his thoughts. "_You're_ the one that was knocked out! Stop being weird Mystogan." Great, if the guy that just readily jumped out of a twelve story building without problems just called him weird, then maybe he really was weird… He hoped he would never have to admit that in front of Rin.

"Wait, don't move so much." Wendy warned as she stood up and moved towards Mystogan's back. Her hands then reached out and touched the back of the blue-haired man's head. "I'll make sure you I get everything before you do."

He also had to give Wendy credit. He had seen wind being manipulated before, but never like this. He knew of the Barthomeloi that could use wind like it was magic, destabilizing the air pressure so that her opponent gets squashed. Creating a vacuum that didn't apply to herself. Heck, he had heard of one time the Barthomeloi vice-director created a vacuum in a room, crushing the 24X24 foot room – as well as everything else in it – under the weight of the air, and the power of gravity.

But while all these things were impressive, there was just something inherently amazing seeing wind magic being used to _heal_ someone else. His mind began to think of ways one could use air to heal a wound, but drew blanks as he realized that Wendy hadn't healed a wound, but instead used the air to heal a person's mind from unconsciousness. And now she was actually trying to _prevent_ a headache when there was no obvious wound to Mystogan's head.

He shook his head, the styles of magic were like night and day. So he opted to just ignore it for now, since he had more pressing matters to see to.

"There," Wendy pulled away from Mystogan and smiled at him. "There aren't any visible wounds, and you were hit in the neck rather than the head, so you should be clear from headaches."

Mystogan turned around and reached towards her, ruffling the blue-haired girls hair, much to her annoyance. "Thanks, Wendy. You've really grown up."

Wendy's reply was to smile at the man.

Natsu took that as his cue to stand up. "You didn't miss too much." Natsu began, before he reached towards Mystogan with an open hand. Mystogan took it without much thought, and he was pulled to his feet by Natsu. "'Cept the queen and the king are insulting each other." Natsu grinned at Mystogan, who was taken aback at hearing the words 'queen and king'.

"Queen Shagotte is here?" Mystogan asked, surprised and a little weary. Natsu nodded his head at him.

"Yeah. Look," Natsu pointed up towards the level where the King and Queen had been. He followed the finger, and saw that the both monarchs were looking at Lilly, who looked like he had just finished his own speech, in surprise. He didn't know if they were surprised by the fact that Lilly was an Exceed/cat, or because of what he had said. "They've been talking to each other for awhile, but all they've been doing were insulting each other."

He heard footsteps coming from his left, and looked on as Gajeel stepped forward towards Natsu. "I'm surprised you even understood that they were insulting each other." Gajeel drawled. "They haven't exactly been obvious in their insults you know." Gajeel said with a hint of humor in his voice. Natsu's response to turn towards Gajeel and glare at him.

"Hey! I'm not that dumb!" So… you still admitted that you were dumb, just not on that level dumb? "I know when people are insulting each other, after all, I insult you and Gray all the time pinhead!" Natsu grinned at Gajeel, who only shook his head, seemingly unfazed by Natsu's insult.

"Whatever hothead." Gajeel then reached out and placed a hand on Mystogan's shoulder. He watched as Gajeel leaned forward and whispered something into Mystogan's ear, before he saw Gajeel jerk his head towards him and his group.

He frowned, was he warning Mystogan about them?

"It seems he doesn't trust us as much as the other two." He turned his head to the right, and saw that Edward was now to his right. "I'm not surprised though, we haven't exactly been the model team to have at any side."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Traitors and people that don't keep their word." He wasn't exactly sure what Gajeel was saying. He could make guesses all he wants, but that would be all it would be, guesses. "I just hope the Prince is more trustworthy than the King."

"Just why are you going so far?" He turned to look at Edward, confused. Edward saw his look, and shook his head as he sighed. "Me, Ellen, and Nero. We're doing this to help our country. We have a reason to help our country, this place is where we grew up in, where we eat, sleep and be merry in. And though we owe nothing to the Exceed, we understand that they need a chance to experience these things as well, so we help you help everyone." Edward paused, as if thinking of what to say next. Finally, after a second to think, Edward locked eyes with him. "We help our country because it is our duty, but more than that, we help our country and the Exceed because we understand that everyone deserves a fair chance, since we were denied our chance when we grew up together. But you," Edward pointed towards him. "You are not bound here; you have no say in things here. Yet you choose to help everyone, even with an answer so obvious in front of you, you choose not to take it simply because it will not save everyone. So I ask, why would you go so far?"

Edward looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. He caught sight of Ellen right behind Edward, and saw that she too was waiting for his answer. Edward was right, he had no reason to help anyone in this world. He was dragged here, and by all rights, he should just make them deal with their own problems as he searched for a way home, that is what he should have done, that is what he would have done half a year ago in his own world, right before the Grail War.

But… after he had experienced all three timelines, and witnessed a fourth one thanks to Avenger, he knew what war was, is, and ever will be. So answering 'because it's the right thing to do' would have been right, it would have been his answer even, but not now.

"I probably would have never gotten this far into this if I had just walked a few meters away from where I woke up in." He let out a dry chuckle. When he woke up, the first thing he heard, apart from his own breathing and the wildlife, was the cry for help. That cry of help was what set him here in the first place. But still, it didn't matter if he had walked a few meters away from that village, what mattered was that he was here now. So he had to answer Edward's question.

"I've witnessed war," He began to answer. "I know what people will do if they just go to war. Innocents killed, people slaughtered." He remembered Caster and Kotomine. Caster who had drained a number of people just to gain strength, and Kotomine for allowing the golden king to drain orphans for ten years so he could supply the king with prana. "I would say I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, but that would only be a half-truth." He sighed as he shook his head. "I'm doing this, because this is what I am." Saber, Rin, Sakura. He remembered each woman that he had been close to from the multiple timelines Avenger had given to him.

"_**My body is made of Blades" **_That was the first time he spoke in Japanese in this world, and he found that the words couldn't be more apt, and though he could now speak fluent English thanks to whatever magic that had brought him here in the first place, reciting his aria in his native tongue added more weight to what he said, at least, to him anyway.

Edward and Ellen looked at him in confusion, clearly not understanding what he had said. He closed his eyes, and elaborated. "I help people, because that is who Shirou Emiya is. A sword that saves people; that protects them, it is my very being." He was a contradiction. A sword that saves people? A sword that helps? There were no such things. A sword was something that will always draw blood, that will always be used as a weapon. He was a fraud, a hypocrite, a contradiction. Yet, he found comfort in being all those and more. He could feel a smile appearing on his face, a genuine smile, the smile he had first seen when he was pulled out of the fire by Kiritsugu. He remembered all the things he had gone through, and he found himself being whole. His ideal would always be the same, his answer was always in front of him but beyond reach, and the people around him walk with him towards that answer. He remembered them all, and his resolve would never waver. Even if he never finds what he was looking for, he will always have one answer to why he helped people. Even if his mind denied that, his body would answer, if his body couldn't, then his soul would. This was, is, and forever will be Shirou Emiya.

"Because I want to become an ally of justice that saves everyone."

Edward and Ellen regarded him with confused eyes, unsure what to make of his statement. He couldn't blame them, what he said, no one but him would understand truly what it meant to walk his path. Nonetheless, he had answered Edward's question, and it was up to the both of them to try and figure out what he meant by that. Of course, he was quite literal in what he said, but if they chose to interpret what he said as something else, he wouldn't mind. He would correct them if he got the chance, but they were free to think of him as they would like.

"That is…" He turned towards Ellen, who was looking at him with wide-eyes filled with… amazement? "So chivalrous!" What?

Ellen walked up to him and took his hand and grasped it. She then began shaking it as if she were entranced. "What you said Sir Shirou, is truly inspirational. It is what all knights, such as myself, should strive to become. To be a sword that helps people, that saves them even. There is no greater work than to be a weapon for peace, rather than for war." He turned towards Edward, silently asking for help from Ellen, who looked like – for lack of a better term – fangirl-ing about his ideal.

Edward's reply was an unrepentant shrug of his shoulders. "You should have figured it out by now," Edward began as he smiled at him. "Ellen is someone that takes her job and ideal to heart. She strives to be the most chivalrous knight that she can be. What you've said, what you've told us, is the epitome of what being a knight is supposed to be."

His reply was to pull his hand away from Ellen, and stare blankly at Edward. "But I have no lord, a knight has a king, I'm just a sword."

Edward locked eyes with him. "A knight isn't someone that has a king. A knight is someone that protects the weak, that protects his ideals, that protects the lives of those around him." Edward explained.

He sighed, well, that was one way of interpreting who he was. Still, while they were correct in some sense, they were also wrong in others. So he should correct them before they jumped to the wrong conclusions. "A knight is someone that fights for others rather than himself right?" He asked. Edward gave him a nod in answer. "A knight is someone that puts the lives of others before his own right?" Again, another nod. He sighed. "Then I am no knight."

Edward and Ellen looked like they were about to protest, but he cut them off before they could say anything. "A knight uses their own life as a counterbalance for other's lives am I right?" He asked both the knights that had followed him ever since his escape. Both nodded their heads, unsure where he was going with this. "Then I am not a knight, simply because I do not act as a counterbalance for the lives I save."

"Then what are you then?" Edward asked, and though the question was crude, there was no other way to voice out the question that would have sounded anything more apt.

"I do not see a scale." He said simply. "I do not count myself as someone that has to put others' lives before my own. It is either the lives of others or nothing at all."

His explanation seemed to surprise the two knights. "So you…" Edward trailed, unsure how to finish his question. So he finished it for him.

"I save lives, simply because that is all I am." There was no scale for him, there were only the lives of others. Rin had made mentioned of this to him in one of the three timelines, he was someone that didn't counterbalance the lives of others with his own, and instead just saved people at the expense of his own. A machine, a person that will always save lives while hurting himself. Always alone, forging steel atop a hill of swords.

"That is a great distortion of oneself." He turned to look at the new voice approaching them. Mystogan as well as Gajeel were now facing him and approaching. He gave a mirthless chuckle in response to Mystogan's words.

"Probably because I acknowledge my distortion, and make no move to help myself." He began. "Besides, I'm not wrong. Helping people, wanting to see them smile, there's nothing wrong with that."

Mystogan nodded his head at his words. "True enough," The prince agreed, but a frown appeared on his face as he continued. "But there's something inherently wrong at seeing others lives and not yours. Don't you have people that will hurt if you get hurt?"

A number of names appeared in his mind as Mystogan asked that question. Sakura, Fuji-nee, Rider, Saber, Rin, Mitsuzuri, Issei. Just to name a few. Heck, Shinji would probably show his own version of worry by telling him off at getting injured. Shinji was weird that way.

"I can name a few." He answered with a nod. "But they've probably given up on convincing me that I'm wrong." He felt a small smile appear on his face. Yeah, he was hardheaded that way someti- always.

"So you're that hardheaded?" Mystogan asked, and he nodded his head in reply. Mystogan shook his head at his answer. "Well, at least your heart is in the right place. I can name a few times being hardheaded and having your heart in the wrong place would be bad." He understood what Mystogan was getting at, and from the glance Mystogan sent towards the two monarchs, it seems he was actively trying to get everyone to see what he meant.

He closed his eyes, before he finally settled himself to ask. "What exactly do you plan to do?"

Mystogan's reply was to give him a grim smile. "Overthrow the king." Mystogan answered. He nodded his head, yes, that was quite obvious, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. It was not the end that he was worried about, it was the means to get to that end.

"I know." He began. He noticed the resigned look on Mystogan's face, and he guessed that Mystogan knew what answer he was looking for. "But how will you get there?"

"I-" Mystogan began, but was cut-off by Gajeel, who had taken a step forward and turned a glare on him.

"Does it matter?" The man made of iron asked him. "The end result has him saving people's lives, what does it matter if he gets there?" He understood. Gajeel was someone that got things done; he didn't need emotions when he had his eyes set on something. True, Gajeel would fight for those he protects, and he understood what that meant, they were fundamentally the same. They were both made of steel, or in Gajeel's case, iron. But there was a difference between them that was probably just as obvious as their similarities. And he wasn't talking about him being made of steel, and Gajeel being made of iron.

Gajeel fought for an answer that his friends gave him. He fought for an answer that his ideals strived for, that his very being looked for.

"It matters because people will get thrown into whatever plan you have planned." Redundant, but he was never the most vocabular person. "If what you have thought of will harm innocents, regardless of the fact that you will save more lives in the end, then I am as inclined to fight you as I would the king and the queen." He explained unabashedly stating he would fight them if they would do something to harm the people. If they were willing to sacrifice the few to save the many, than he would fight them, not to save the few, but to try and save them all.

He knew this wasn't his war, this wasn't his fight. But he had turned it into his fight the moment he had gone and helped the villagers that had cried for help. And he would be damned if he didn't see this through to the end.

"I see." Mystogan nodded his head, seemingly understanding of what he planned to do if their plans didn't exactly see eye to eye with him. He was impressed, the prince it seemed was mature enough to see what could be, but made no move to actually convince him that what he had planned was for the greater good.

"I cannot…" Mystogan paused, seemingly trying to think of what to say. Finally, after a few seconds, he nodded. "I can't say that what I will do will help the people. That overthrowing my father is for the best, I can't see into the future after all." He waited patiently for what Mystogan was about to say next. What the prince will say next will be the turning point.

"But what I can see, what I will do. I promise you will be for the people. To help them, to aid them, to protect them. Not just the humans, the people of Edolas, but also the Exceed, the Extalians. I will strive for a future where everyone will be happy."

He smiled, before he nodded his head. "Then point me in the right direction." He was a sword, he has to be wielded.

Mystogan smiled back at him, but before he could say anything more, Gajeel stepped forward, locking eyes with him. He stared calmly at the man's eyes. His amber almost golden eyes staring into the man's own black orbs.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Was the man's question. He waited, it was apparent he wasn't finished. "How do we know you won't turn your back on us if we do something you don't see eye to eye with? I've seen my fair share of defectors, of people that turn their back on people on a whim, heck; I was like that too once." Gajeel admitted with a casual shrug. And though the act was noncommittal and completely out of place, the gravity of the situation was still present. "You've turned your back on your word already, not against us, but against our enemies. You're not exactly the model for promises." Gajeel shrugged again, not at all obfuscating the fact that he had done what he had said.

He couldn't ensure that he was going to keep on being on their side, seeing as he already knew their modus operandi, just pointing their fists and hitting something. It wasn't even that hard to figure out actually, he had seen Gajeel fight, then he had seen them fight against the knight captains, and all those fights showed something in abundance. Destruction.

He didn't know if it was a difference in society, but Fairy Tail seemed ready to destroy large parts of towns just to get things done. That didn't sit well with him, especially since he knew what destruction did to the masses. He didn't know if the society where the members of Fairy Tail had readily available builders and relief aid, but where he came from, on Earth. Destruction was bad. People who spent their entire lives building a business, a home, anything of particular accomplishment suddenly lost their livelihood in just a couple of hours, to seconds, depending on the avenue of the destruction.

But… there was a difference between helping Fairy Tail, and helping the people that needed saving. It just so happened that Fairy Tail was part of the people that needed saving in the first place.

"I'm not just helping Fairy Tail." He began. Gajeel looked at him in confusion, while Mystogan was regarding him with a quiet stare. "They're part of the people that needs saving. If I'm only helping Fairy Tail, I would have destroyed the cannon and be done with it." He gestured to the cannon behind him. Before he shook his head. "You said Dragon Slayer Magic works on the Crystals? I can do that." Ascalon came to mind. The dragon slaying sword of Saint George had potent dragon slaying properties to it. Not exactly magic, but the same principle was in there. Ascalon slew dragons, hence, it was a dragon slaying sword. And in any world, no matter which he ended up in, death was a universal constant. He doubted if what he thought as Dragon Slayer magic and Dragon slaying were different.

But even if Ascalon didn't work, he had other Noble Phantasms that would do the job just fine. Off the top of his head, Rule Breaker, Arondight, just to name a few. Although, no. Maybe not Arondight. It was meant as a dragon killing sword yes, but he wasn't necessarily fighting a dragon in the first place. Unlike with Ascalon, where the sword itself would be the one that kills the dragon, Arondight would just guide the wielder towards killing the dragon itself. Boosting the parameters of the user, and giving them an edge against dragons.

"But I'm not just helping Fairy Tail. I'm looking for a way to help everyone. Exceed, Fairy Tail, the knights, and the people in Edolas." He locked eyes with Gajeel, he needed to let his point be heard. "So no, you can't trust me. But, you can trust in my ideals and my willingness to see them through to the end." After all, Mystogan felt the same way.

Gajeel's eyes never left his, and for a few seconds, they just stared at each other, having a silent conversation. Finally, Gajeel turned away from him and closed his eyes. "Alright," Gajeel nodded his head at him. "I can see it in your eyes; you're someone that sees things through to the end." He blinked, before he shook his head in bemusement. Gajeel had no idea just how correct he was in his assessment of him.

He looked back up, at Mystogan this time. And saw that the blue-haired prince was smiling slightly at him. "So you're going to help us?" Mystogan asked, quietly looking for confirmation in his eyes.

He his head. "Not them," He gestured towards the members of Fairy Tail. Gajeel snorted at his words, apparently amused, or exasperated. Wendy and Natsu, who had been quiet for a good amount of time as they watched him interact with their two guild mates, looked at him with slight disappointment. Well, Wendy had looked more hurt then disappointed, while Natsu was being calmed by the two Exceeds Happy and Carla, as he looked like he had something he wanted to say. He shook his head, before he faced Mystogan again and pointed a finger at him. "You. You're the one I'm helping."

"Me?" Mystogan asked, confused as Mystogan looked at him incredulously. He nodded his head at the blue-haired man.

"Yes, you." He confirmed. He smiled a little before he told him why. "You're doing this not only for Fairy Tail aren't you?" He already had him figured out actually. He had an inkling of a feeling last night, when he had talked with Mystogan inside his cell. That feeling was reinforced as he told him he would help him look for a way home, and now he knew he was right. Mystogan, he looked for a future where everyone was helped, where everyone was safe. He had stopped him from just firing his swords at everyone, even though he probably knew that just outright killing the king and his knights would work wonders for any future plan he made.

Mystogan stared at him, before the blue-haired man smiled and took a step forward. "It seems we'll be working together from now on, Shirou." Mystogan then held out one hand.

He took a step forward, and clasped his hand with Mystogan's own. He shook it firmly, before Mystogan began speaking again. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Shirou Emiya. I am the prince of Edolas, Jellal. Just Jellal for now." A pseudonym, he wasn't surprised. Saber had one herself when she was king.

He nodded his head at Mysto- at Jellal. "I feel the same Jellal." He smiled. He really did feel the same, after all. It wasn't everyday you met someone with ideals almost identical to yours.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

He approached the red-haired knight steadily and surely, making sure he was as unthreatening as he could possibly be. And although he was quiet and had suppressed all his intentions of wanting to fight the woman, he wasn't at all surprised to see her turn and regard him with a steady look.

"I take it you have come to a decision." Her sentence was a question, but it came out sounding more like a statement, a correct statement at that.

He nodded his head at the knight, not bothering to hide the fact that he had a plan and was plotting something with her enemies. Though, he guessed he could correct her assumptions as well now that he was here. "I've always had my mind set," He corrected her, making Knightwalker raise an eyebrow in question. "It's just my plans don't always go as planned, that's why I have others plan for me."

Knightwalker seemed to understand what he meant, as she had nodded her head at him. "Quick to think in battle, but not behind the war. A true warrior." Knightwalker had a small grin on her face, a grin that he couldn't help mimic by smiling a little.

"Something like that." It was true after all. All the plans, all the thinking he did during the Grail War, it was all geared towards one thing. That was to save as many people as possible during the Grail War. And when it was apparent that he couldn't do much more than planning the routes that he and Saber would patrol for the night, and when everything got really deep, he had Rin, Rider, and even Saber to some extent to help him plan out the more detailed and complicated plans.

He was quick on his feet, but planning ahead wasn't really his strong suit. Something Kiritsugu, and later Rin, would gladly point out to him.

"Then I take it that this will be the last time we will be having any sort of civil conversation?" Knightwalker's words were direct and blunt. But he wasn't at all fazed, he liked direct and blunt, he was direct and blunt himself.

"Most likely." He didn't say a definite yes, simply because there was a chance, although he admitted was a really small one, that after all this was over, Knightwalker would be serving a new king, and they wouldn't be enemies anymore. He was prepared to fight her, to even kill her, but there was a chance where everyone would be saved.

Still… he sighed. There was also a bigger chance that when this was all over, Knighwalker would be dead. So with that said… "Your father," He got straight to the point, and this caused Knightwalker to turn her head at him, both in surprise at the topic, and slight confusion. "He was right about the Exceed."

Knightwalker snorted at him. "You really think so?" Knigthwalker's voice was mocking, and more than a little incredulous. "I think the Exceed are nothing more than cats with the ability to fly actually. They can't kill us even if they wanted to. Now more than ever with me here."

He smiled a little. She was a little confused on what he meant by that. "You're right." Knightwalker furrowed her eyebrows at his words, before he shook his head. The Exceed, they didn't seem at all threatening. Save for Lilly, the others he had seen didn't look at all threatening. "But that isn't what I was talking about."

Knightwalker raised an eyebrow at him. "Then what were you talking about?"

"About your father saying a war was a mistake." He explained. "He was sure that if this war happened, neither side would have won."

Knightwalker's stare turned into a glare. "Are you suggesting my father cared about innocents?" Knigthwalke'rs words were harsh and angry, but he kept calm.

"No," He shook his head. "Your father didn't care about the innocents at all." He remembered the sword that Knightwalker had on an altar in her armory. The blade was four feet long, longer than the average longsword, it weighed 2 kilos, and had a silver pommel and guard, with a royal blue hilt, and at the bottom of the hilt, a ruby which seemed to be clouded and had lost its shine. A beautiful sword with a horrendous past. Innocent blood spilled for a king's greed. The owner of the sword, its one and only owner, followed every order to the extreme. He enjoyed doing all those deeds, not only because he was a sadistic man, but because he believed in what he was doing was right. That following the king was the right choice.

That is until the king ordered for him to attack a contingent of Exceed that would be passing by the Kingdom's capital.

He called it to the forefront of his mind, and whispered two words. "Trace On." Blue motes of light appeared in his right hand, and soon, the lights congregated and formed something solid. He remembered its history, how it was made by a blacksmith to be nothing more than a sword that would be used in battle. He remembered the deeds it did, and made sure to Trace it as well.

He stared at the sword, the sword that spilled innocent blood and was redeemed by spilling the blood of its master. Truly a beautiful sword, beautiful, yet tragic. He then looked up at Knightwalker, and saw her staring at the sword with something akin to shock, her beautiful face frozen in place as she stared at the sword.

Finally, after a second, her shock turned into anger, and soon, her anger was directed at him. "Why do you have that sword?!" She advanced upon him, her spear spinning in her grip as she pointed it at him. He understood why she was angry, but he wasn't scared at all. Though, the two knights behind him he could feel were scared for him.

"Lady K-Knightwalker." He heard Edward begin, but stopped him as soon as he heard the knight step forward. He turned and gave the confused knight a small smile, quietly telling him that 'he has this'.

For a second, Edward didn't do anything. The second passed, and Edward nodded his head at him, before stepping back, but not before giving Knightwalker a nervous look.

He turned back to Knightwalker, his eyes crossing as he saw that the tip of the spear was mere inches from his face, from between his eyes. He then refocused on the angry redhead, and found that the snarl on her face only added to her character.

"Your father feared the Exceed," He began, causing Knightwalker to snarl and try to shout at him. But he cut her off, using the side of the sword in his hand to sway the spear so that it wouldn't be pointing to his face anymore. "He was afraid, but he was far from cowardly."

Knightwalker's eyes narrowed as she raised the spear to point it at his face again, only this time a wider berth was given. "Explain." Knightwalker demanded from him. He shook his head and looked down at the sword in his hands, running his fingers along the side of it, and using his knuckles to caress it.

To anyone else, this would have looked creepy, and if one looked deeper into it, they would say he looked like he was thinking of using the sword on someone, or even himself. But to him, he was just remembering the things this sword did, what it was forced to do. It seemed to resonate to him telling him that this sword, even though it had a dark past, and a darker ending, it was anything but unholy.

"He feared the Exceed, not for himself." He pointed the sword forward, at Knightwalker. A gesture that made the red-haired knight tense. "But for you."

"..." Knightwalker didn't say anything, and only continued to stare at him with unblinking eyes. Finally, after a second of silence, she spoke up. "You're mad."

He chuckled, an act that seemed to surprise the woman, as well as the two knights behind him. He couldn't help it really, in all honesty, she was absolutely right. But in this case, it wasn't so much as him raving about a misguided lie, but it was him simply saying the truth.

"I'm not lying." He began as he dropped the sword to his side. "Your father truly believed the Exceed would kill you all. But he also knew that he would fight for his very last breath to defeat as many of them as he could."

Knightwalker growled, it was fairly audible and held nothing but contempt behind it. "Your delusions are of no use to me!" Knightwalker shouted as she advanced, driving the spear forward. He didn't budge, as he knew that she wouldn't strike him down here. He heard the two knights behind him move towards him, but they were a little too slow.

He felt his cheek sting, and he was aware that Knightwalker had thrust her spear right next to his face, and cut his cheek. He kept his eyes locked solely on the livid woman. "You say my father would have killed Exceeds without problems, but where was this when he pleaded to his king to stop the war from happening? Where was this when he plunged his sword into his own heart and pulled it out, all the while looking at his daughter?!" Knightwalker dropped her spear to the side, her knuckles were white from gripping it, but she didn't seem to mind. Instead, she advanced forward, her spear parallel to the ground as she walked up to him and grabbed his shirt while pulling forward. Her face advanced to his, and he could feel Knightwalker's ragged breathing as she stared down at him. "Where was this knight when he locked eyes with mine while he plunged his sword into his heart?" Knightwalker's voice had turned frigid cold as she had said this, a deep contrast to her previous hot anger.

He didn't answer right away; instead, he raised the sword in his hand to the side, eliciting Knightwalker to stare at it from her peripheral vision. So, it probably came as a surprise to her as he swung it towards her neck.

She couldn't react, she was frozen stiff, not because she was afraid and couldn't move due to shock, but because this was one sword that she thought would never fell her, would never hurt her.

He smiled at her reaction, before he pushed her away from the incoming sword.

Knightwalker landed ungracefully on her back, her spear rattling as she had let go of it. For a moment, she didn't move, and only stared towards the ceiling above them. That moment passed, and soon, Knightwalker was pushing herself from the floor, her face contorting to that of pure rage.

If her anger was disconcerting before, now it was palpable. Yet, he remained calm.

"Emiya!" Knightwalker shouted as she bent and grabbed her spear, before she promptly pointed it at his direction. Knightwalker took on a ready stance, and soon, she looked like she was about to move to strike him down.

He carefully glanced around the room, and soon, he found that most of the talking from the different groups had died down due to Knightwalker's shout. The monarchs had stopped talking and were looking down with curious looks on their faces. The Fairy Tail group had made their way over towards their own felled comrades, and Wendy, who had been in the process of trying to wake up the blonde woman Lucy, had stopped what she was doing and was looking towards them with a curious look on her face.

The same could be said with the others in that group, Natsu and the half-naked man, who had been arguing, had stopped and was looking their way. While Mystogan, who was talking with Gajeel, had stopped as well.

For a few seconds, nothing happened as they stared at them. A sigh broke the silence, it was his sigh.

"I'll show you what your father truly believed in." He readied himself into a stance with the sword in his hands. "Trigger Off." The history was there, the knowledge on how to use it like the only one that had truly wielded it came to the forefront of his mind. Knees apart, right foot forward and left foot back, sword in the right hand slightly parallel to the ground with the tip pointed slightly downwards, and left hand open with a bent left elbow. This was the stance used by the only person that had used this sword, and even though this was his first time ever using this stance, it felt like he had been practicing it for all his life.

The Dragon's Maw; that was what it was called.

He looked forward, and saw what he had been expecting. Knightwalker's angry gaze upon him. Her spear was shaking as her grip tightened on it, turning her knuckles white. Her teeth were clenched and he could hear them gnashing together. Her eyes showed pure anger, and told him that she would be fighting to kill him.

He heard Edward back away from behind him, he also heard Ellen whimper. He wasn't disturbed by this. Knightwalker's expression was far from normal, even for someone angry.

He addressed the two behind him without taking his eyes off Knightwalker. "Get out of here." His voice was cold, colder than he expected it to be. This was one side-effect of doing what he was doing. Tracing a weapon's history and the previous user's techniques tended to Trace more than the techniques. It Traced the personalities. This was one reason why he didn't like Tracing anything more than the weapon itself.

The other reason was simple. It would be overkill Tracing a Noble Phantasm and a hero's skill to use it in the first place.

"But-" He heard Edward begin to argue, but he growled and cut him off.

"_Get the fuck out of here._" He winced a little, yeah. Knightwalker wasn't kidding when she said her father wasn't a nice man. He idly wondered how this kind of man found a place in their heart to see things for someone else.

He heard two pairs of feet encased in metal boots start to back away. "B-but…" Edward tried again. He growled, low this time.

"_If you don't get out of here, you'll die._" This wasn't his way of speaking; this wasn't how he would have said it. The way he had said it sounded like it came from someone more annoyed there were other people that would get in their way. It had mixed with his innate want to just save as many people as possible, and had caused his voice to sound distorted, the personality he was Tracing telling him to just get on with the fight and ignore the others, while his own personality wrestled with it, telling him to tell the others around him to get away.

"As you wish," It was Ellen that had spoken up next. Though her voice quivered slightly at the end, he was impressed at how calm she sounded. "W-we will leave." He smiled, her nervousness was showing now.

He heard a pair of metal boots begin to walk away, leaving only one person behind him. He heard the person sigh, before they spoke again.

"When the Prince asked for a distraction. I hardly think this was what he had in mind." The earlier fear was gone, and now it was replaced with exasperation. "Besides, he said to just 'keep Knightwalker busy.'"

He clicked his tongue in frustration. "I know." His voice was softer now, more like his own regular voice instead of the distorted one. "But Knightwalker needs this as well."

"You owe her nothing." Edward's voice countered. He chuckled, it was his own laugh, and not a distorted one.

"I owe her my life." It was true. If she hadn't spoken up for him, he might have been executed on the spot right in front of the king. He owed her something, his life maybe. So he might as well repay it the only way he knew how.

"_Now,_" He began again. His voice distorting to sound deeper. "_Get out of here you little shit."_

A pair of boots clanking away was his answer. Good, now he didn't need to worry about others getting in his way.

He refocused his attention of Knightwalker, and if entirely possible, she looked even angrier than before. "Y-you!" She stuttered not out of nervousness, but because of rage. "You!" She repeated, firmer this time. He could see her muscles tighten, her legs begin to bend, and he knew what would come next.

He welcomed it all the same.

"**YOU!**" With one final shout, Knightwalker charged at him. He was wholly unprepared for the speed she used, and before he could even react, Knightwalker was in front of him, her spear aiming to strike at his head. Thankfully, his instincts took over, and he had managed to turn his head slightly just to avoid getting impaled through the head. Though, he felt his other cheek sting this time. He wasn't fast enough to avoid the entire spear it seems, and had gotten cut.

He jumped back, giving distance between him and Knightwalker. But as he landed on the ground, Knightwalker was upon him again, her leg reared and ready to kick his ribs to powder. He clicked his tongue, before he focused Od into his body, the muscles strengthened in tensile strength, his ribs hardened, and his arteries started performing better. In all honesty, this was a whacked up job Reinforcing his body. But under this kind of pressure and speed, he had no choice, he couldn't be specific, he had to Reinforce his body or else he'll get killed.

The kick connected with his side, and he immediately felt the air leave his lungs. He bent into the kick that landed on his right ribs, before he was launched to the side due to the kick.

He was sent careening through the air, past the members of Fairy Tail, and towards the wall on the other end where he had been. He righted himself in the air, letting his legs turn to the wall. And as he landed, he used his Reinforced legs to absorb the impact, bending as he was pushed into the wall even more. Soon, the impact dissipated, leaving a good sized crater on the wall where he had landed. But he wasn't done. He was bent on the wall, so he used that as a springboard to jump right back towards Knightwalker on the other end. The wall caved in even more under his jump but it still held strong, and as he sailed through the air, he readied the sword in his right hand, intent on striking Knightwalker as she stared at him with slight surprise.

He thrust the sword forward as he sailed towards Knightwalker. But Knightwalker didn't seem intent on getting stabbed, as she put her foot down on the floor firmly before gripping the spear in her hand in a peculiar stance. It looked almost like… his War's Lancer's?

Alarm bells started ringing in his head, that stance, he knew that stance. The spear pointed downwards, one foot forward, and body slightly bent. This was the stance Lancer used when he was about to use his Noble Phantasm!

Righting himself once again, he dropped the sword he was pointing forward to the side, before he twisted his body.

Knightwalker had stepped forward towards him, and had raised her spear to point at him. But due to him having twisted his body and changing his position, the spear missed impaling him by just a few inches. His face was a few inches away from the spear head, and he managed to see Knightwalker's absolutely _calm_ face.

That… didn't bode well for him.

In a flash, he saw the pointed end of the spear shift. It began glowing, before the glow disappeared to reveal a tri-pronged end. The end started spinning, and the wind started picking up around him. Well, damn.

He hadn't cleared the spear or Knightwalker yet, but even if he did, he'd probably still get sucked into the vortex that her spear was beginning to make. As it stands though, his legs got caught up in the swirling winds, and soon, they were getting sucked into it. And since his legs were attached to his body, it followed suit, getting sucked into the vortex.

As he flew towards the vortex, his mind started drifting. He wondered if the Barthomeloi vice-director could do what they were doing with wind. Creating vortexes, healing people, heck, even giving people their consciousness back. If so, he now had a deep appreciation for that woman, and with that appreciation, came fear. If she was capable of all this and more, what else could she do? Create F-5 tornadoes with just a flick of her wrist?

He snapped back into reality, and he realized that he was still inside the vortex from Knightwalker's spear. He couldn't hear anything aside from the winds around him, but he could see just fine. He was actually amazed that he could see, the observatory grounds must have been kept immaculate if there was no dust to carry into the tornado. He could see his surroundings, he could see the Fairy Tail members gripping the stone floor to prevent themselves from getting sucked in. He looked up, and saw that the monarchs and their entourage were gripping the railings, trying to prevent themselves from falling towards the tornado. He could vaguely see the king, who was gripping the railings and had his head stuck out from the middle of it, shouting something, probably at Knightwalker. He could also see the cannon, and how it was vibrating under the force of the vacuum.

He saw all this even as he was spinning uncontrollably inside the vacuum.

He looked up, towards the place where the tornado was forming from Knightwalker's spear, before he pushed himself in the opposite direction of the tornado. It was hard, and it took all his Traced strength as well as his own Reinforced one to do so, but he managed to stop the spinning of his world by spinning at the same speed as the tornado only to the opposite direction.

He grunted, before he used all his strength to push his right arm forward and towards the spear. It barely reached the spear, but the sparks that erupted told him he had just hit the spear head.

Soon, the winds started dying down, not by much, but enough. He righted himself, before he started pushing his spin to increase in speed. Soon, his world started spinning again, but this time on the opposite direction of the tornado. He clucked his tongue, before he pushed his sword forward again, allowing his momentum to shift forward.

Sparks flew, and soon, the tornado dispersed as the sword in his hand stopped the three-prongs from moving. He looked at Knightwalker's face, she was stunned, mortified at what he had done. It should have been impossible; he had counteracted a tornado after all.

He didn't give her a chance to recover before he kept pushing himself forward towards Knightwalker. He let go of the sword in his hand, and raised his right fist. He threw it forward when he was close enough, and hit Knightwalker square on the chin. The resulting impact causing her to spin as blood flew from her mouth, probably from having her teeth forcibly hit against each other.

He landed on his stomach, with the sword having fallen from Knightwalker's spear as she flinched away. He righted himself immediately, pushing against the floor before grabbing the fallen sword by his side. He ran forward as he pushed himself from the ground, the sword in his right hand raised to slash across Knightwalker's back.

He swung the sword to the left, and blood flew. Having slashed against the exposed upper back of Knightwalker, he managed to slice just above her bra-strap and gave her a gash right between her shoulders and just below the nape of her neck. It wasn't anything serious, just a few centimeters into the skin actually, but it was enough to drive his point home.

"_First blood to me."_ It wasn't him speaking anymore, it was the owner of the sword he held in his hands. He hummed, also not him. "_You've grown stronger, but you lack power."_ He continued as he begun walking towards Knightwalker's front. The flat of the sword in his hands tapping against his shoulder as he did so. _"You're strength is good, but it lacks substance. What good is a tornado that doesn't destroy anything sucked into it?"_

Soon, he was in front of Knightwalker. He could see her shocked face, frozen stiff as he rambled on in a tone not his own. _"I'm disappointed."_

Knightwalker looked up, her expression vulnerable. But it was soon replaced by white hot anger. Her spear shifted again, this time taking the form of a naginata. She swung it forward, and he dropped the sword from his right shoulder to block it.

With a clang, the two weapons collided. Sparks flew as he used one hand to block the curved blade of Knightwalker's spear. He narrowed his eyes as he felt the spear/naginata begin to carve a furrow into the Traced blade.

"_Good, but not good enough."_ He stepped forward, surprising the woman as he hadn't moved his arm at all from its raised and blocking position. He then raised his right leg, and kicked Knightwalker square on the chest with the bottom of his shoes. _"Where was the follow-through? That blade is sharp, it can cut diamonds if it has too. Why couldn't it cut my damn sword in half?!" _Again, this wasn't his voice. But he could feel the anger and disappointment in the tone.

Knightwalker didn't say anything, and only continued to stare at him with anger. He was surprised however, when he didn't see any hate in those eyes. "Stop…" She muttered, her spear shifting again. "Stop acting like _him!_" Even before Knightwalker's spear started shifting, she had advanced towards him with surprising speed. She had readied her spear to thrust, and he readied himself justly, preparing for something that would pierce him.

So he was wholly unprepared when Knightwalker's spear turned into a giant bludgeon.

He felt the air leave his lungs as he was hit, before he felt himself sailing back as the kinetic energy of the spear/mace advanced on him and threw him backwards. He traveled past the stunned faces of the Fairy Tail members, past the forms of Edward and Ellen, before he felt his back impact on the wall he had used as a springboard a few moments ago.

But he didn't stop there, no, the kinetic energy was too great for the already half destroyed wall, and he found himself barreling through it and towards the open courtyard just outside the observatory. He landed on the green grass, before he skid on the dirt, kicking it up as his body acted like a makeshift shovel and dug up dirt.

He finally rolled to a stop, his body running itself into the dirt that he had shoveled behind him. He would be lying if he said it didn't hurt, but he was lucky that he only managed to get a few bruises with that attack. Getting stabbed and sliced was one thing, getting bludgeoned was another. But, surprisingly, even after he had been subject to that extreme attack, he only suffered a few minute injuries. His ribs felt sore, and he had a slight headache, but other than that, he was fine. He didn't know if this was a result of his Reinforcing, or the fact that he had replicated Knightwalker's father's strength, but whatever the case, he was thankful. It would have been a magnitude tougher trying to beat Knightwalker with his ribs broken and his sternum caved in.

Shaking his head as he began to stand, he looked up and saw that Knightwalker was coming straight at him, with her hammer/spear raised above her head ready to strike him down.

Gritting his teeth in frustration at not getting any respite, he rolled forward just as Knightwalker got within striking distance from him. He saw her swing down, and saw the effect her hammer had on the ground where he had been on.

The dirt kicked up as the ground shuddered under the weight of the blow. Dirt was kicked up as the hammer impacted on the ground, sending debris flying in all directions. He continued his roll, before he stopped as he righted himself and turned around. He could see that Knightwalker was still in her position when she had swung her hammer towards him, her body bent as her hands gripped the spear/hammer in her hands tightly. The spear/hammer was a foot deep into the ground, and the crater that surrounded the weapon was large to the point of ridiculousness.

He let out a breath. That… that was scary. If that had impacted on him, he might have died. Not to mention the fact that Knightwalker was decidedly _human_, and that no human could have possibly been able to utilize that kind of strength, not in his world at least. Even mages would be hard pressed to create something like that with nothing but pure strength and skill alone… No, wait, that wasn't right. Knightwalker was strong, perhaps stronger than a human should be, but her strength had to have been augmented. Her spear was magical; it could create lightning and tornadoes and had a form that could actually cut through diamonds. So it stands to reason that even this seemingly conspicuous form of the spear had some sort of magical quality to it.

He had to be smart about this.

He brought his eyes towards the spear, and called for it from his World. He began to see it, began to sympathize with it, and he began to figure out just what kind of spear it was and what it had been doing to its wielder.

He could admit, this was cheating. He had an edge on swordsmen with his Tracing ability. But all was fair game when it came to fighting. A sentiment he didn't share with Saber. But whatever the case, he had an edge against Knightwalker, and he would be damned if he didn't use that edge here.

But before he could even begin delving deeper into the spears history, he had to duck under another blow that would have taken off his head. In the time it took him to scan, call forth, and begin to understand the weapon in Knightwalker's hands (which was admittedly, a very short time span of just two seconds), Knightwalker was upon him, her spear having been mid-swing and aimed for the side of his head. It was almost ridiculous at how fast she was able to swing that spear around, at how fast she was able to got from rest to mid-swing after crossing a fifteen feet with one jump forward. If this was what Knight Captains could do, then he had a new reason to respect them.

It wasn't on Servant level yet, but it was close, real close. Servants were beings that were comparable to natural disasters; they were freaks of nature (in every sense of the word) after all. Knightwalker wasn't a typhoon, nor was she a tornado, but she was decidedly close enough to both that she could cause disaster to a town if she was let loose with an order that only had two words. 'Destroy it.'

Still, for all the parallels, for all the similarities, Knightwalker was still human. She had assuredly trained herself with such passion and intensity that she went past the normal human limits, and had come close to comparing herself with a Servant. But she wasn't a Servant, and she was far from the most powerful being he had ever faced. Gilgamesh still held that honor.

As he ducked under the blow, feeling the wind from Knightwalker's swing go past his face, he readied his right foot by bending it towards his body, before he placed another kick square into Knightwalker's chest, right between her breasts.

It didn't launch her away, as that wasn't his intention, but to make the air in her lungs forcefully come out. He was successful in this regard, as Knightwalker gasped at the sharp pain and bent over some more, leaning into the blow while her face came close to his own.

He stared at the wide eyes of Knightwalker, surprise and pain was prominent in her hazel eyes. But before she could say anything, before she could recover, he was on the attack now.

He threw his left hand forward, and gripped the back of Knightwalker's head, surprise shined in Knightwalker's eyes for a moment, before it was replaced by pain as he bludgeoned her with the butt end of the sword in his right hand. The ruby having made itself a useful tool even though it was added as nothing more than decoration for the sword.

Knightwalker righted herself, standing straight for a second, before she started wobbling, the impact causing her an immediate headache. Good. Hey, it wasn't like he didn't want to pay her back for the sudden bludgeoning on his chest.

He righted himself, before he began speaking in a tone of voice not his own again. _"That is a follow-through."_ He began as he took on the Dragon's Maw stance once again. _"Though admittedly, a rather poor one on my end. If I wanted to, I could have sliced your head from your body, or sliced through your jugular. Though I applaud you for surprising me with that bludgeon of yours. Though it still lacks power behind it, it certainly took me by surprise at how fast you managed to carry that thing around."_ That last part was equal parts his, and equal parts not. He was impressed that Knightwalker could carry her spear around with the bludgeoning end attached to it. He hadn't managed to see the entire history of the thing, but he did manage to see that when the spear shifted, its weight changed accordingly to the end that was attached to it. And the bludgeoning maul that she had attached to the spear wasn't hollow and was two feet in length and was made of heavy duty steel. Though admittedly, it was magical steel.

Add to the fact that Knightwalker was gripping the spear with the hammer head with one hand even as she was dizzy and recovering, then he guessed that Knightwalker must be surprisingly strong for someone of her physique… He wasn't being sexist mind you, he wasn't sexist at all (Even though Rin and Rider told him otherwise.) it was just that he felt like women didn't need to go into wars when men could go instead. Anyway, he wasn't being sexist to Knightwalker's strength. But… err, her um, body didn't exactly tell him that she was strong in any sense of the word.

He shook his head from thinking about Knightwalker's _feminine_ body. He refocused on Knightwalker, who had been slowly recovering since his thinking spell.

"_Now,"_ He readied himself, his legs tensing as his mind started to see the techniques used by the owner of the sword in his hands. He could see Knightwalker still recovering, shaking her head every other second to clear away the dizziness that she was experiencing. He almost felt sympathetic, he had suffered his fair share of impacts to the head and getting dizzy. But his sympathy was lost as he remembered that Knightwalker had done the same to him just a few moments ago. _"Let's begin."_ He wouldn't give her a chance to recover, the knight's attitude he was Tracing didn't allow respite in battle.

He threw himself forward, and in a second, he was right in front of Knightwalker. Knightwalker, who had seemed to sense the danger, allowed herself to duck forward and come to a roll going towards his back. Her instincts were spot on, if she had been just where she had been, he would have sliced her stomach open, allowing her guts to spill out.

Not that the knight he was Projecting would allow any harm to come to her.

He turned towards Knightwalker, who seemed to have regained some more of her bearings, but was still obviously suffering from receiving a blow to the side of her head. Again, he charged forward, not allowing her to rest at all. He idly wondered if she had gotten _any_ rest at all since her fight with the other Erza. But squashed the distracting thought as he swung the sword down onto Knightwalker. It didn't matter; he wouldn't give her any rest.

He swung his right arm to the left, intending on slicing Knightwalker's arm. But as the sword was about to make contact with her arm, she had managed to regain enough of her bearings and threw herself to the ground. He was impressed, her instincts were spot on, and actually saved her from losing an arm.

He threw the sword downward; the pointed end of the sword was now in between Knightwalker's eyes, a similar scenario to when she had pointed her own spear at him. "_Good._" It seems even the owner of the sword in his right hand was also impressed. He grimaced a little, it was disconcerting, thinking he was a separate entity from the person he was Tracing, when in all honesty, the person was as good as himself. _"Your instincts are still spot on. It seems forgoing armor has its own benefits."_

Knightwalker growled from her position on the floor, glaring up at him with anger. He remained calm, an added effect of the personality he was Projecting.

"_Don't look at me like that." _Again, his manner of speaking changed. He actually scoffed at Knightwalker. _"You're nowhere near my level yet."_ He grimaced, okay, maybe he should stop Tracing this. Too much of it was detrimental for his mental health. Add to the fact that he was actually going past his normal limits with his magecraft, than he was probably on a fast track to getting his own personality overrun by the other.

Dismissing the sword in his right hand, he let his hand fall to his side as the sword dissipated into blue motes of light. He immediately felt a weight ease off his mind. He shook his head to clear out any excess bog, before he switched off the four Circuits that were Reinforcing his body.

Some would say it was suicidal for him to be letting his guard down, and they would be correct. But it was even more suicidal trying to keep going. Not only had the sword and the previous owner's personality starting to bleed into his own psyche, but he actually felt a few pounds lighter, and felt like he had blood clots in his body from the excess blood produced by his heart. This was a side-effect of Reinforcing your whole body and not just a specific part. His stomach would improve, it would make him digest things faster, his circulatory system would produce more blood than normal, and his lungs would produce more carbon dioxide than it was safe for any regular human. Even now, he felt himself needing to take a leak and squat to remove the produced waste his body made.

He looked down at Knightwalker, and when his eyes locked with hers, Knightwalker clucked her tongue. "Why do you have his sword?!" She demanded, anger flashing once more.

He shook his head. "My armory…" He wondered if he should be telling her this, but decided against withholding the information. So what if he revealed a bit of it? There was nothing they could do about it anyway, the mages in this world didn't seem all too keen on research anyway, all they wanted was the practical use for their magic. "Has that sword, and your spear in it." To emphasize his point, he held out his right hand and called for the image of Knightwalker's spear.

"Trace On." Another set of blue lights appeared in his hands, this time forming something much longer and much tougher than the previously created sword. The three meter long black haft of the spear appeared, this was followed by the edge. He didn't need to reproduce it fully, so instead of copying the magical properties of the spear that allowed its form to shift, he only Traced the basic parts of it, the base where everything would come from.

He twirled the spear in his hands, admiring it, the heaviness was reproduced to the exact number, even the length of the haft was reproduced faithfully, from all the small dings and cracks that came from repeated use of it. In truth though, this was only one spear among the many Knightwalker had that was the exact same like it. He had chosen this spear out of the many simply because this was the spear that Knightwalker currently had clenched in her fists as she stared at him from the ground. The spear she had used to fight against the other Erza, the spear she had used to bludgeon him through a wall and sent careening through grass and dirt.

He let the butt end of it impact the grass next to him as he stared down at Knightwalker, who seemed bewildered that he had the exact same spear she was currently holding in her hands… well, not _exactly_ the same, but it was close enough.

"How…?" Knightwalker began as she started to right herself from the ground. Using the spear she clutched in her hand as a makeshift crutch to help her. He shrugged his shoulders at her question, he had already answered her question.

"My armory." He repeated, as if that were the most obvious answer. Knightwalker's reply to his noncommittal answer was to stare at him with morbid curiosity mixed with a slight hint of indignation.

"Your armory holds blades that are meant for others?" Her question was valid, but it was the wrong question. His armory didn't hold weapons meant for others, it held every weapon in existence, as long as he saw a weapon, he could record it into his mind.

He shook his head at Knightwalker. "No," He answered her as he closed his eyes. "My armory holds an infinite number of swords." They say the treasures in the Gate of Babylon were uncountable, that it held all the treasures that would ever come to be. Well, his World wasn't the Gate of Babylon. His World didn't contain an uncountable amount of treasures, but an infinite amount of blades. He'd wager that if he had the mana capacity to Project endlessly and sustain his World indefinitely, his World would surpass the Gate of Babylon by sheer number.

"So, what?" Knightwalker asked, clearly confused at his words. "Your armory has every sword in existence?" Knightwalker asked curiously, her previous anger now having dissipated as she learned more about him.

It was a bit disconcerting, she looked ready to kill him just a few moments ago, and now he was telling her about his greatest trump card. It was weird, but he imagined if Rin were here, she would just wave it off and say something along the lines of 'You're already weird, you can't get any weirder.'

Strangely enough, he would agree with her.

He let the spear in his hands dissipate. "Something like that."

A few seconds of silence stretched between them, with Knightwalker staring at him with curious eyes. He shifted a little, her anger had disappeared completely, and replacing it was curiosity as to what exactly he could do.

The moment of silence passed, and soon, Knightwalker was asking another question, one that was closely tied to his armory. "How do you…" She began tentatively. "How do you know what my father's technique and stance are? You're new to this world, you shouldn't know about it at all."

He grimaced. "My magecraft… allows me to delve into the history of any weapon I come across." Well, not _every_ weapon, Ea gave him a headache just thinking about it, and Excalibur… well, he really shouldn't anyway. It was beyond his level to Trace it.

"So what?" Knightwalker asked, confused as to what he was alluding to. "You can see what the opponent will do next?"

He shook his head. "No." He corrected her. "My magecraft, Tracing, allows me to see into the history of a weapon, the way it was made, who it was used for, how many people died by it, even the previous owners of the weapon itself." He sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "I know about your father, the Dragon Knight, I know what he did, I know the techniques he used, and I know that he was genuinely scared of what the Exceed will do in a war."

Knightwalker was silent as he explained this, her eyes staring straight at him and never looking anywhere else. "What they will do?" Knightwalker repeated, a question evident in her tone.

He nodded his head. "Your father feared that a war with the Exceed would cause nothing more than mutually assured destruction. He believed that if a war was fought, nothing would remain. Not his king, not the queen of Extalia…" He paused as he raised a finger and pointed it at Knightwalker herself. "And not you."

"Me?" Knightwalker repeated, confused, surprised, and a little dubious that he had said that. "My father cared only for the king, I was only a second need for him, why would he be worried about me?"

He shook his head. "Not only you." He said. "Didn't you hear me? Mutually assured destruction. He was worried about everything."

Knightwalker's eyes took on a condescending glint. "And I'll ask again, where was this worry when he was killing his own countrymen for a king? Where was this when he was beating me into the ground, taunting me as he disguised this as 'training'?!" Knightwalker's steadily began rising, and it turned into a full shout at the end.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes people show love in different ways." That was true. "Your father showed love for his king and country by following everything to the letter. He showed love to you by training you to become strong." He paused to let that sink in, before he asked a question. "Would you be as strong as you are without your father's help?"

Knightwalker looked down, knowing the answer to that question, but not at all willing to answer it.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, my job's done." Knightwalker raised her head to stare at him, slight surprise in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked, not at all comprehending why he would just out of the blue attack her.

He pointed his chin towards her back, where he had got blown through, and where he now saw the waving forms of Natsu and Wendy. They were shouting something, but he couldn't quite hear them due to the distance. "My- Jellal is finished with his business with the king."

He was nothing more than a distraction for Knightwalker. She had displayed hostility to the prince and most likely would have tried to stop Jellal from doing anything noteworthy while the two monarchs were there. He didn't exactly have the exact details as to what Jellal had planned, but it had apparently worked, and now they were calling him over.

In the end, maybe his thoughts of having to kill Knightwalker was nothing more than that, thoughts.

Knightwalker looked behind her, and saw the two waving, before she turned back towards him with an inquisitive look. "You were a distraction?" She asked, sounding incredulous.

He nodded his head, before it turned into a light frown. "Well, _we_ were a distraction." He said 'we' because Ellen and Edward were supposed to help him. They were supposed to take the injured Knightwalker and distract her from the proceedings. He already knew that was a bad idea, so the first chance he got, he got rid of them. They'd probably think it strange of his sudden switch in personality, but that was easily explainable.

"So… you meant to get bludgeoned outside?" Knightwalker asked, honestly sounding disbelieving. He shrugged his shoulders.

"No," That was the truth. Getting hit with a two feet long hammerhead that was solid wasn't on his bucket list. It just happened, and he just rolled with it. "I was going to lure you outside, make you chase after me. That was why I chose to Trace your father's sword and his personality and techniques… that and you needed closure."

Knightwalker huffed at him. "I needed no such thing." She denied. "I already admired him for what he was. He was a knight, a true honest to goodness knight that followed his king's orders to the letter."

He smiled as Knightwalker said this. "Except for one." He saw Knightwalker flinch, not by much, but enough for him to notice that he had hit the nail. "And I already told you why he didn't follow it."

Knightwalker growled in her throat. "Because he was a coward!" Knightwalker shouted, before she took a breath to calm herself. "He didn't fight for his country, he didn't obey his king. I will be different, I will surpass him."

His smile disappeared and he scratched the back of his head. "So you admire a coward? And you want to be an even bigger coward?" He wasn't trying to be blunt and unsympathetic, but really, the way she was saying all these things didn't make any sense.

"No!" Knightwalker denied, taking a step forward. "I… I…" She was stuttering now, obviously at a loss for words. He sighed before he shook his head.

"He was never a good father." He could admit that much. Knightwalker looked up at him with surprise. "He beat his daughter to the ground, insulted her, and told her off instead of praising her. He was never a good father." He nodded his head. "But that doesn't mean he wasn't a father in the first place."

Knightwalker stared at him confusedly, but before she could as any questions, he continued. "All father's love their daughters. No, well, all parents should love their children. I know that sometimes a parent is never there for their child, but that doesn't mean that those who grow up cannot love at all." He remembered the story of the three orphans that wanted nothing more than to let others live life as peacefully as they can. "Your father was no exception. He beat you down, not because he didn't like you, not because he didn't love you. But because he felt the opposite. He wanted you to surpass him. In every sense of the word."

Knightwalker bit her lower lip as she stared at him. "And how would you know this?" She asked, though she sounded more convinced every time she asked a question.

He sighed, before he felt the presence in his mind once again. "_Do you want to know the last thoughts I had before I drove my sword through my heart?"_ It wasn't his tone of voice, his tone of speaking. It was that of a dead man that had emotions so powerful that it translated into the sword. It was the dying echoes of a man that transmitted everything in his sword.

"Ignios?" Knightwalker muttered her father's name. Sounding both surprised and wary. "Fa-"

"_Do not call me father."_ He spoke harshly. She flinched at his tone. "_I am not your father."_ That was him speaking now, in Ignios' tone of voice, his way of speaking.

He needed to nip this in the bud. When he was Tracing a sword, when he was Tracing the techniques of the previous people that owned it, he was still Shirou Emiya. He was no one else. He may have the mannerisms, the way of speaking, even the verbal ticks, but he would always be Shirou Emiya.

He was merely a messenger here; he was the person that would relay the last thoughts inside Knightwalker's father's mind as he drove his sword through his heart while looking into his daughter's eyes. _"I am not your father. I am Shirou Emiya."_ He paused as he sighed. _"I am merely a fragment of your father's will, a part of him that is neither alive or dead. A part that was embedded into his sword with his last dying breaths."_ If one would get technical, he was technically being the _sword_ instead of the _person_. But if a sword or weapon was used enough, the weapon itself would start to respond to the owner. Taking in their weapon forms, their memories, and their feelings.

Sentience of steel. That was what it was.

"Then are you… His sword?" He had to give Knightwalker credit, she was sharp.

He nodded his head. "_In part I am."_ He began. _"And it is because of this that I did not take off your head, or kill you. But enough of these questions. Your father's last thoughts were that he wouldn't see you grow up."_

"Grow... up?" Knightwalker repeated, as if unsure she had heard right.

He nodded his head. _"Ignios, he always believed you would be better than him. That you would be stronger. He was right on both accounts. You've followed your king's orders better than he ever did. You've become strong beyond compare, and now you've grown into a beautiful woman."_ He admitted that last part was also him thinking about it.

It wasn't his fault! He was still getting out of his teens, and he was suspect to hormonal imbalances. Besides, she was really pretty if one looked away from her roguish nature.

He let the Traced personality fade away. "Sorry." He shook his head clear. "I don't like it when I do that. My memories get jumbled up sometimes."

Knightwalker didn't respond to him, and only looked down at the floor in deep thought. "My father… he wanted to see me grow up?" She repeated.

"Yes." He nodded his head as Knightwalker looked up at him in surprise. "He wanted you to live so you could grow up. A war would ensure that would never happen."

"But the war happened regardless." Knightwalker stated that fact, and he couldn't deny that was true.

He snorted. "For a week." He remembered the king's speech when he first met the man. How the war lasted for a week, and how they called for a truce immediately afterwards. That was during the previous king's reign, Jellal's grandfather. And when that king threatened for another war, they overthrew him, with a more just and fair leader. He couldn't quite deny the fact that all this was taking place once again.

He looked straight at Knightwalker. "You never fought the Exceed, you fought against your countrymen. You were made strong without a war."

Knightwalker regarded his words for a moment, and in the next, she smiled at him. A genuine smile. It looked so different from her usually serious and no nonsense nature that it felt almost disturbing. But then he realized, that smile looked familiar.

She was happy, genuinely and utterly happy. Much like Kiritsugu had when he found him in that fire. The only difference was the circumstance, Kiritsugu was happy that he saved a life, and thus was saved. Knightwalker was happy because… well, he didn't exactly know.

"Thank you." Knightwalker nodded her head at him, all the while smiling. "You've given me something that's bothered me for so long." She placed a fist to her chest, and stood straight and proud. "Thank you." She repeated with closed eyes and a long breath.

This time, he was the one smiling.

But his smile disappeared as the air shuddered under a bone chilling howl.

He turned his head towards the observatory, where everyone was, and saw that both Natsu and Wendy had jumped from their position and away from the place. He couldn't make out their expressions, but he did notice Natsu shield Wendy from whatever was going to happen. And he instinctively knew he should be doing the same.

He grabbed Knightwalker's hand, and pulled her backwards, sending her to the floor. He didn't pay attention to her shout of surprise, before he was shouting his spell once more.

"_**I am the Bone of my Sword!"**_ He pulled the Aias in a single breath, it was hastily produced, and only had four of the seven layers. But hopefully, it was enough to stop whatever was coming.

Another roar, a massive shockwave, and then a column of fire exploded from out the building where Natsu and Wendy had been. Thankfully, the two were safe and away from the column. Unfortunately, the hole was aligned to where both him and Knightwalker were on.

The column of fire collided with the hastily Projected Aias and destroyed the first wall effortlessly. He felt his skin sizzle as the first layer disappeared. Before he felt his bones crack as the second was destroyed in the same was as the first.

This was bad, the Aias wouldn't hold this, it couldn't hold this as it was now. He looked towards Knightwalker, who was looking on at the shield in amazement. He broke her out of her reverie by shouting at her. "Get out of the way!" His voice was strained, but that was because the third layer broke already and he felt the effect break some of his fingers.

Knightwalker didn't seem to hear him, and only stared at him in shock and surprise. He was panicking now, he felt the fourth layer cracking, his body aching, and his muscles tearing apart. He couldn't hold this, he would die here, having not known what it was that killed him, having not being able to save anything in this world. He would die, he would die, he would die.

The fourth wall caved in, and he closed his eyes.

**XxX**

**And the cliffhanger master is back!**

**Extra long chapter because why not. Also a fight between Knightwalker and Ignios' fragment/Shirou. Hopefully, this will have satisfied some people's bloodlust. But I'd like for you all to keep in mind, Ignios didn't want his daughter dead. That meant that Shirou was fighting hindered by the fact that Ignios' sword wouldn't harm Knightwalker.**

**But there's also the case of Knightwalker having already fought Scarlet, that means even though she was fighting with the intent to kill, she was still tired. I'll let you guys interpret who won that fight, but in all honesty, that was a draw with Shirou coming out just a bit in front of Knightwalker.**

**Anyway, the next chapter will have the big bad boss, the biggest of dragons ,and the most horribly overpowered item in the Fairy Tail verse. That's right! The Dragon's Rein- oh shit, wrong series.**

**Anyway, I know that tornadoes don't work that way, and I know that what Shirou did wasn't 'physics' but it just flowed into the story. And aside from that piece, I'm satisfied and happy at how this chapter turned out.**

**How about you folks? What do you guys think? Anyway, I'm outtie.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**


	11. Dorma Anim: I

**Disclaimer: The rights to both Fate/Stay Night and Fairy Tail belong to each of their respective companies. I am under no obligation to say that I own both, even though I wish I did.**

**Hmm, maybe I should tone down my brain some. I've got four, hear that? **_**Four**_** upcoming stories. Three of which are crossovers. From a Kara no Kyoukai and Another crossover, to a Blazblue and Fate/Stay Night crossover that doesn't feature Shirou (Though, a part of him is still there… sorta.) A Fate/Stay Night and Majikoi crossover (clichés, clichés everywhere! I'm looking at you Taiga.) And the last one is just Rise Before Dusk's newest chapter that I'm just too lazy to rewrite (I say rewrite because… remember the computer crash that deleted all my files? That included half of Rise Before Dusk's.) Add to the fact I found an Android app that lets me read light novels that are translated, schoolwork through the roof, and my laziness. Everything is gonna go slow… at least, in my terms.**

**You guys have no idea how lucky you are though. I've seen people update, and most of them just don't update weekly, heck, they update bi-monthly. I consider my readers lucky cause I try and get a chapter out every week. In the last year alone, I've written 50+ chapters for 3 different stories. That's a rather big feat, at least, in comparison to most other people… wait, do I write a chapter every week? Damn, that's a lot more than I accounted for really.**

**Guys, for the love of all that is good and holy. Stop mentioning _that_ fic. I only keep mentioning _that_ fic because you guys keep mentioning it. I'm making my opinion about _it_ known so as to discourage people from mentioning it to me. But you guys just won't let it go and keep asking why I don't like it, or what's the problem with it. If you're really curious, PM me, don't review and ask. Review the story, not the writer's own personal feelings about somethings. I'll gladly tell you what I think of _that_ story if you're all so interested.**

**Anyway, this chapter should be pretty heavy on the actiony parts. So you can all grab onto your seats and watch as Shirou and the rest of the Fairies try and deal with a dragon.**

**And regarding Ellen, no. It ain't a crush. Wendy has a crush on Shirou yes, but Ellen, not so much. **

**XxX**

She woke up groggy and sore.

Not that she could find anything wrong with that though. She remembered that she had been fighting against Knightwalker, and had let her guard down and promptly gotten blindsided by a giant of a man that probably had more hair than necessary.

Maybe they should have kept Natsu, and let Lucy go with Mystogan and the others. Lucy was a strong mage, don't get her wrong. But she wasn't really a direct confrontation mage, her spirits did the fighting most of the time, and even though she had recently tried to fight alongside her spirits, she still had a long way to go before she would actually contribute to anything more than a distraction against more skilled opponents.

She propped her elbows on the stone floor, shaking her head as she tried to clear away the grogginess that was attributed to waking up after a battle. She looked around her, trying to determine where exactly she was and who exactly she was with.

She had turned her face to the right, and met face to face with Natsu.

Normally, this wouldn't have surprised her, but the fact that Natsu's face was just a few inches away from hers nearly gave her a heart attack.

But she didn't shriek, that would be unbecoming and out of character for her. No, Erza Scarlet did not shriek, she shouted and squealed, but she did not shriek.

She punched people, and while getting surprised, that was usually her first reaction.

She straightened up quickly, before she threw a hard right cross and hit Natsu square on the cheek, sending the pink-haired mage reeling back as her metal grieves added to the power behind the punch.

"Ow!" Natsu yelped as he held his cheek and fell to the floor. She blinked once, before she retracted her hand and put it to her side, all the while staring at the poor Dragon Slayer that had been subject to her punch.

"That hurt like hell Erza!" Natsu whined on the floor, before he turned around and glared at her. "Why'd you go and punch me for?!" Natsu demanded her, and she found that she couldn't help but shake her head.

"Sorry Natsu," She apologized as she held a hand up to her head. Her grogginess was gone, but she could still feel some bruises and aching bones that resulted from having fought Knightwalker. "You just surprised me is all." She finished lamely as she looked away from him.

She heard a laugh, and turned towards the owner. Gray was standing right beside Wendy and a half-conscious Lucy, and was currently bent over and pointing at Natsu while laughing. "D-did you guys see that? She just chucked him a punch and he fell over!"

"Wendy? What are you doing here?" She called out to the blue-haired girl, ignoring the coming fight between the two idiots that was sure to follow. She didn't have time to make them stop fighting, she needed answers.

"Erza, uhm…" Wendy looked down, seemingly unsure how to answer her question. "We um… We couldn't get to the Lacrima crystal."

What? "You couldn't?" She repeated, sitting up straighter even at the protest of her aching body. Why couldn't they? Did something happen? No, wait, Wendy was here, wherever here was, so of course something went wrong.

Wendy nodded her head at her, before the blue-haired girl looked down with sad eyes as she continued to mend some of Lucy's wounds. "I- I mean, we, were on our way to the crystal. But someone ambushed us with a… a weird cannon thing." Wendy's voice was lamenting, but she pressed on. "They took us by surprise, and they fired, they sucked our magic away, I-I couldn't do anything, we couldn't s-save anyone."

Her felt her eyes soften at seeing the young girl start sniffing, an obvious sign she was about to cry. "Wendy…" She began before she tried to stand.

"No!" She blinked at the sudden shout from the girl. She looked at Wendy, confused as to why she would suddenly shout. She saw Wendy blush, before she looked down at Lucy and mumbled the next few words. "You're still hurt, so you shouldn't strain yourself. I'll get to you next."

She smiled, the girl was shy yes. But she could be firm if she wanted to. She didn't doubt that in a few years, she would be both the nightmare and dreams of any boy.

"It's not your fault Wendy." She blinked as she turned around to face Natsu, who had been the one to speak up. "We couldn't know if an attack would come. We thought there wouldn't be one cause Mystogan was all secrety and chose to make Erza, Lucy, and Gajeel a distraction. We didn't know they would see right through us." The Dragon Slayer's words were wise, and she wasn't at all surprised that he spoke like that. Natsu had a way of cheering people up after all. But then she saw the sight the Dragon Slayer and the Ice Mage were in, and couldn't resist sighing. This was the position he was going to use to comfort someone? Really?

"Natsu…" Wendy whispered, looking up at Natsu. And even though the position was weird, with Natsu having gotten into a headlock battle with Gray, with one side trying to push the other down and vice versa, Wendy didn't seem to mind. She just looked up at Natsu and smiled before she nodded. "You're right."

She sighed again as he heard something crack from the two fighting mages. Right, time to clear up their fighting. "Natsu! Gray!" She knew this tone would scare both mages, and she was satisfied when both mages suddenly straightened themselves and threw their arms over their shoulders in a rather pathetic way of showing fake camaraderie.

"We're not fighting!" They both chorused together, looking at her while forcibly smiling to prevent their nervousness from showing.

She shook her head at their antics, before she turned back towards Wendy. "Natsu is right you know." She didn't know the exact story, but she could at least trust Natsu's judgment on these kinds of things. "I don't know the full story, but if you were taken by surprise, then you shouldn't say you couldn't do anything. You forced the enemy to come after you after all." That was the best advice she could give the girl.

"Yeah," A weak voice sounded. She looked over at Wendy's lap, where Lucy's head was resting on, and found the blonde awake and cognizant. "They're both right Wendy, you can't blame yourself for something you had no control over." Lucy smiled at Wendy, a strained, but otherwise sincere smile. "So hold your head up high, you're part of Fairy Tail aren't you?"

Wendy's smile broadened, before she nodded her head. "Okay!" She exclaimed before she renewed her looking over the blonde. She couldn't resist smiling as well, Fairy Tail, even after all these years being together with the members, she couldn't get used to the ease they used when cheering other people up. And she hoped she would never get used to it.

She looked away from Wendy and Lucy, purposely ignoring Natsu and Gray – who were both trying to subtly choke each other using the arms hung over their shoulders – and focused on the surroundings. She saw Gajeel a few feet away from their group looking towards a random direction, but she didn't see Mystogan.

"Where's Mystogan?" She asked to no one in particular. She would have thought the people that had captured them would place them all in a same cell or something, but from the surroundings, she wasn't in any cell whatsoever. She saw a hole on a wall a few feet away from them, but otherwise, nothing seemed strange… wait, was that the Dragon Chain Cannon?

"He's over there." Before she could scrutinize the cannon, she heard Gajeel speak before the Iron Dragon Slayer pointed towards the direction he was facing. She saw Mystogan a good distance away from them, looking up with his coat billowing as wind entered the room they were in. He appeared to be speaking, and when she looked up, she found the people he was speaking to.

"Is that… the king?" She asked, again to no one in particular.

"Yeah," Gajeel answered for her. "He's trying to get the king to step down so that Mystogan can take his place." She looked over at Gajeel, surprised at what he had said. Gajeel's reply to her questioning look was to shrug. "Not like our previous plans worked anyway." Well, that was true… but still, why was he speaking so brazenly when the King could just order his knights to- wait, where were the Knight Captains?

"Where are-" She began, but was cutoff as Gray answered for her.

"Knightwalker's fighting the other guy." Gajeel said hastily, confusing her even more. Other guy? What other guy?

"His name is Shido Damien!" Natsu answered her unasked question. Shido Damien? Who was that? Another Knight Captain? "And the cat knight is up there with the king." Natsu then pointed towards another direction, towards the opposite end of the room, and when she turned towards it, she found the frozen form of Sugarboy. "And there's the weird armored guy pretty boy."

Well, that accounted to almost all of them, but still… who was Shido Damien?

"I think," A new voice sounded from another direction, and when she faced it, she was met with two forms of knights in the armor of the Edolas army. "You mean Sir Shirou Emiya." Shirou Emiya? The person that injured Gajeel? He was fighting Knightwalker?

"Ehh, whatever." Natsu's voice sounded dismissive. "He's a good guy, so his name isn't important. I'll just call him good guy... but he kills people, so does that make him a good guy?" Natsu's last statement made her look towards Natsu in alarm.

"He kills people?" She whispered her question, but Natsu heard nonetheless and nodded his head at her.

"Yeah, he killed a Knight Captain on his way here I think. I don't like that he did it, but I think I understand why. The Knight Captain would have killed his friends over there." Natsu pointed towards the two knights that were on the opposite end of his position.

"What are you on Flamebrain!" Gray shouted as he threw a fist and hit Natsu's head. "Killing's bad, no two shits about it!" Gray chastised the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Hey watch it!" Natsu ignored the chastisement and chose instead to get angry at Gray for hitting him. "And I know that! I just said I understand why he would do that! I never said I wasn't angry over it ice for brains!"

"Wanna repeat that asshole?!" Gray advanced and put his fists up. Natsu mirrored his action and pounded his head at Gray.

"You want some you prick?!" Natsu shouted back. She sighed, really, why couldn't they get along?

"Natsu! Gray!" She shouted again, wanting to diffuse the situation before it escalated. "No fighting!" Immediately after she said that, both men parted from their positions, but not before giving one another one last stink eye.

She shook her head. Now really wasn't the time.

"Sir Shirou isn't a bad person." She looked towards the two knights that were friends of the person called Shirou. She looked at the more petite one of the two, and found that it was a woman. "He knows that killing is wrong, and he doesn't want to kill anyone. He just wants to save everyone. That is why he is so chivalrous." The way the woman was saying it almost seemed worshipful, which was a little disconcerting.

"Indeed." The other knight agreed with a nod of his head. "Sir Shirou chooses to save everyone, even his enemies. But if his hands are forced, he can kill people."

Well, she can't say she didn't admire that kind of trait, wanting to save everyone. But still… why can't he hold back? Killing people means that they can't be saved anymore. Couldn't he talk to people? And- wait, didn't they say he was fighting Knightwalker?

She moved to stand, but Wendy's sharp voice stopped her from doing so. "Not yet Erza!" Wendy shouted at her, trying to get her to sit down on the ground and not move. But she wasn't deterred.

"Sorry," She apologized to Wendy, but made no move to obey her plead. "I have to stop them from killing each other." Knightwalker was an opponent openly ready to kill people, if she fought someone like that as well, then either one – if not both – would die.

She heard a snort, and turned towards the voice. It was Gajeel. "Don't bother." He told her, not taking his eyes off Mystogan. "Mystogan said to distract Knightwalker while he does his thing. That guy volunteered to be a distraction."

"Can he handle her?" She couldn't help but ask. Knightwalker was on the same level as her, and she had been hard-pressed to actually try and defeat the other redhead. She could understand defeating Gajeel, but… No, maybe she was being too presumptuous. She shook her head before anyone could answer her question. "Let me change the question. Will they both be alright?"

"They'll both be alright." She looked towards Natsu, who was strangely quiet all of a sudden. "I saw them fight, the Shido can handle himself, and he won't kill Knightwalker."

"How do you know that?" Despite the fact that this was Natsu she was talking to, she couldn't help but ask. There was a niggling feeling in the back of her mind that told her that something could go wrong, and she remembered a book that once stated 'If something can go wrong, it will go wrong'. A little pessimistic, but she could understand the logic behind it.

Natsu just tilted his head at her, confused by her question. For a second, she thought he wouldn't answer, but then Natsu just shrugged his shoulders and pointed his chin at Mystogan. "Cause I trust Mystogan's judgment."

She allowed a small smile to appear on her face, before she sighed and sat back down on the ground. Really, of all the answers he could have given, he just gave the simplest one. "Alright then." She said as she sat down next to Wendy and Lucy. Her back turned from the hole in the wall, and facing towards Mystogan's form over the distance.

"So," She began, looking at Wendy and Lucy before giving them a questioning look. "What else is happening?" She asked.

Lucy tried to shrug, but was held down by the petite blue-haired girl. For a gentle and shy girl, Wendy could sure be pushy when she needed to. "Don't move Lucy." Wendy chastised as she continued to heal the blonde's injuries.

"Sorry," Lucy apologized immediately, giving the girl a small smile before moving her eyes towards hers. "I just woke up myself Erza. I have no idea what's happening at all."

"Mystogan's gonna try and usurp the king's throne, that other guy's fighting Knightwalker, nothing else." She heard Gajeel answer. "Don't know Mystogan's gonna do it, but he's making it happen." She looked over towards Mystogan, and saw that he was speaking again, this time gesturing through the air as he explained whatever it was he was saying. She then looked up, and saw the absolutely stoic face of the king looking down on his son. The man didn't hold any anger in his eyes, only disappointment, which was disconcerting really, it seemed like the king wasn't worried at all.

"Why do you suppose the king is calm?" She asked, not really sure if anyone will answer.

"Because the king has dealt with people claiming the throne before." She heard the female knight answer. "Did you not think someone else will try and get their hands for the throne? The reasons may differ, greed, power, and now for the people. But the end goal is the same, to take the throne from the king."

"The king has dealt with rebellions before," The male knight spoke up this time. "Most coming from the guilds that feel it is unjust for the capital to be full of magic and being used so freely, but the king quickly crushed these dissenters and quashed any rebellion. There is a reason we knights were easily able to subdue you." Who was he talking abou-

"Hey!" Natsu shouted, incensed. Oh, so it was Natsu she guessed. "I didn't have my magic then! Besides, I was using a cheap flamethrower that can't even handle getting used for battle!" Natsu gave an excuse, which only caused the knight to snort.

"From the reports and the rumors going around, you used up the lacrima crystal inside with just one sweep of it. Against the magic warded shields of the knights at that." She couldn't help but chuckle a little. Yeah, that sounded like Natsu.

"Oh sure, laugh it up Erza." Apparently her humor wasn't unheard as Natsu glared at her. The glare turned into a teasing look as he spoke up again. "You got your ass beat down by Knightwalker."

She snorted. "Yeah, and she's on the same level as me."

Natsu just grinned at her. "You wish, I bet I can take her down no problem." Natsu said as he puffed out his chest, causing the ice mage right next to him to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, sure you can. And I'm the queen of France!" Gray objected. Natsu just stared at Gray.

"What the hell is a 'France' Ice head?! You're delusional!" Natsu shouted as he butt heads with Gray again.

She sighed, couldn't they hold a conversation without devolving to fighting?

She was about to break it up, but then she felt a new presence move beside her. She looked to her left, and saw both Happy and Carla looking at Natsu and Gray as they fought. Huh, she didn't notice them both until now.

"Ugh," Apparently, Carla felt the same way as her and voiced out both of their frustrations for her. "Why can't those two stop fighting? We're about to figure out if we have to fight or not, and they're just going about it like it was an everyday matter."

Happy only laughed at Carla's words. "Well, that's Fairy Tail for you! Right Erza?"

She blinked at suddenly being called out, before she nodded her head. "Yeah… I guess it is." She couldn't deny that it really was Fairy Tail. Everyday they would start a fight in the guild, and everyday they expected to get bruises. It was rough, but it was Fairy Tail. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"This is madness." Carla rubbed her forehead as she saw both Gray and Natsu start trying to give each other a headlock. Again.

Again, Happy laughed at Carla's words. "Madness? This is Fairy Tail!" Happy exclaimed as Gray finally got a hold of Natsu and pushed him down.

She shook her head at the antics, before she turned to her right, where Lucy was still being mended by Wendy. "Oh geez, are those two at it again?" She looked down as Lucy started to turn towards the two fighting mages.

Surprisingly, Wendy allowed it. "That's just how they are." Wendy replied with a smile as she looked at Gray and Natsu. "Besides, at least they're friends right?"

Lucy huffed. "More like mortal enemies." Lucy then began to sit-up, earning a slight protest from Wendy. But Lucy only smiled reassuringly at the girl. "I'll be fine. You did a great job in healing me. I still feel a little sore, but nothing too severe."

Wendy looked unsure for a second, but then nodded her head. "Okay… but don't try standing." She warned Lucy, who only smiled at her and nodded her head.

"Looks like Mystogan's almost done though." Lucy pointed towards the prince. She looked towards him, and saw him making his way over towards them, a confident gait in his steps. She then looked up, towards the king, and found that his face had morphed from disappointment and outright annoyance. The other cats, especially the white-furred one, looked oddly satisfied. And only the knight right next to the king seemed miffed about what Mystogan had said, not even the cat-knight looked at all disturbed in the slightest. Whatever it was that Mystogan said, probably had enough sense in it to derail the king and impress the others.

"Well?" Gajeel spoke up, subtly asking Mystogan if what he did had worked. Mystogan replied with a shake of his head.

"My father refuses to see reason." Mystogan spoke up as he approached. "He still wishes for the destruction of the Exceed, as well as a continuation of his rule. And while I don't doubt my father is at least a honest king, he only sees what's best for those close to him." Mystogan stopped in front of their group, before he sighed in slight disappointment. "Either way, I've told the Exceed that the king doesn't have the second key, I trust them to at least not do anything rash, as we still have the means to free their soldiers in the first place."

Everyone seemed to regard Mystogan's words carefully, even the bickering Gray and Natsu had stopped fighting and had turned towards the prince as he approached. For a few seconds, no one said anything, and then the silence was broken.

"So what do you plan to do now?" It was the male knight that spoke. "Obviously the king will not step down from his seat of power, and nothing you can say will stop that." The knight hit the nail in the head it seems, as she saw Mystogan scowl before closing his eyes in thought.

For a few seconds, Mystogan didn't say anything, but when he opened his eyes, there was conviction in them. Like he had come to a hard decision but would see it through to the end. "A coup d'état." He answered briskly.

"A coo-de-what?" Unsurprisingly, it was Natsu that asked that question. And if she was correct in her prediction, the next one that would speak up would be…

"Is that a type of chicken?" Happy continued, sounding confused as well. "I don't like chicken, I like fish!" The blue cat spoke up with excitement in his voice as if he would be given a chicken.

"No," She blinked as she looked over at Gajeel. "I think it's a type of plant. Err, Central Fiore I think."

She just stared blankly at them for a second, before she turned back towards Mystogan. "So when will this happen?" She asked, steering the conversation away from food.

"I've told the king we'd be coming back in force." Mystogan then grimaced. "I'll have to talk to the Fairy Tail guild of this world. I'm a part of it, but most of the people there don't care for the country if at all." She blinked, there was a Fairy Tail guild here?

Mystogan shook his head. "Regardless, our business here is done. We'll give the king a reprieve." Mystogan then turned towards Natsu. "Call him back. Hopefully he isn't knocked out… or worse."

She doubted that. From the way her guildmates were talking about the guy earlier, it would probably take a lot more to kill the guy then a tired Knight Captain.

Natsu grinned before he nodded his head. "Sure thing!" The Fire Dragon Slayer then turned towards Wendy. "Come on Wendy! Let's go!"

She heard the girl next to her shuffle a little in surprise. "M-me?" Wendy squeaked, her voice low. Natsu nodded his head, all the while his grin widening.

"Yeah! You like him don't you?" Oh, so Wendy has a little crush does she? That was cute.

"N-no I don't!" Wendy denied, though her voice quavered, suggesting she was trying to deny something embarrassing. She heard a sigh to her left, and saw Carla shaking her head muttering something under her breath. She didn't catch it, but she did manage to hear a bit of it, it sounded like 'honestly'.

"You don't?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Huh, thought you liked him or something. I do." She froze, wait… was Natsu…?

Before her mind began thinking of any of her BL novels, Natsu shook his head. "He's a good guy. I thought you would like him after he talked to us yesterday." O-oh… never mind. For a minute there, she thought Natsu was… She wasn't a pervert! She just… liked reading steamy romance novels… that sometimes involved boys on boys…

"O-oh." She heard Wendy sigh in relief. "W-well. Okay then. He might be injured, so the least I can do is heal him right? After he was so nice to us I mean." Wendy began to stand, making Natsu grin.

"Alright!" Natsu let out a whoop before he started walking towards the hole in the wall. "Come on Wendy. He might need help, and I'm just itching to fight Knightwalker since Erza couldn't beat her!" She felt her eyebrow twitch.

She watched as Wendy start walking over towards Natsu and the hole, before she let out a sigh. "That man…" She trailed as she watched Natsu's back.

"You can't blame him Erza." She heard Lucy say next to her. "He's a battle maniac. A good one at heart though." She nodded her head in agreement. Yeah, Lucy was right about that.

She turned back towards Mystogan. "What will the Exceed do?" She asked. She was bothered by this, the Exceed knew the king was trying to kill them all, to wipe them off the face of the planet. But they seemed content to just watch. She was no tactician, but it seemed like the Exceed were just waiting for a good chance to strike, to let their enemies fight each other, before they struck themselves.

"For now, nothing." Mystogan answered. From the corner of her sight, she could see both Natsu and Wendy waving to someone outside the hole. "Though after we start fighting, that is still up in the air. Hopefully, Lilly can stop them from doing something rash. But I still wonder…" Mystogan trailed off, not completing his sentence.

"Why don't me and Carla go?" She turned towards Happy, who had spoken up. "We can go to Extalia and we can try and talk to them! We can make sure they don't do anything bad!" Happy spoke with enthusiasm and conviction. She was surprised he would suggest that, but couldn't fault the logic the blue cat had given. Still…

"A promising plan," Mystogan complimented. Making Happy smile. "I'll see about it. But in the meantime, we have to-"

Mystogan stopped talking as the ground suddenly shook. At first, she thought it was an earthquake, before she remembered they were on a floating rock above the clouds. She looked behind Mystogan, and saw what was causing the localized quake. The ground was moving, shifting, _splitting apart_ right next to the cannon. The cannon seemed not at all affected by the quake.

"I will not have dissenters and traitors in my ranks." She looked up as the voice of the king spoke up, heavy with anger and disappointment. She saw the king stand and make his way towards the edge of the railings. She also noticed that the three floating Exceeds were watching in fear as the knight that resembled Gray held them at sword point. The other knight, the one that blindsided her, was looking on, looking unsure as to what he should do.

She cast her gaze towards the ground again, and saw _something_ rise from it. But when she saw the head, she realized just what it was.

A dragon knight made of silver steel.

A head of silver shone even in the darkened anteroom of the observatory. Bright enough to show the draconic head. Its jaws held sharp teeth, and even though the entirety of the head vaguely resembled that of a human's, it was everything but human. Its eyes shone, bright red and glaring, and it filled them all with dread.

The body came next, thick, silver, and bulky. The chest was large, incredibly so. It shone brighter than the head and filled the people seeing it with awe. On it's back, pinions of silver steel were folded, but did nothing to hide the fact that this human like dragon held pure power.

Athletic, that was what the thing was best described as. The legs were thick and plated, but were very much there as more than just protection. It could run, she guessed, faster than her flight armor. It could take massive strides, hop over entire cities as if they were hurdles, and kick down a mountain if given enough time.

"What… t-the hell is that thing?!" Gray spoke for everyone. His voice surprised and more than a little scared at seeing something so fearsome stand at full height in front of them.

The dragon's eyes flashed once more. This time brighter, before it started to hum. It was then she felt herself weakening. As if her magical energy was getting sucked out of her. She wasn't the only affected; the others were too, probably on a much higher scale than her.

She looked up, and stared at its full form. She couldn't see the king, but she knew the king had entered the thing when his voice came out distorted and contorted as the dragon's maw opened.

"**I will nip this problem in the bud right now. After I take care of you anarchists, I will take the key and I will turn Extalia into a Lacrima. I will see to it personally that my kingdom will have magic that will last for _millennia_.**" The king spoke, but he spoke through the dragon's maw. It was distorted, deeper, baritone, and sounded so _wrong_.

The dragon knight's head moved, the blood red eyes shone even brighter, and then they felt the sheer power begin radiating from it.

It was… like nothing they had felt before. Deliora, Lullaby, they didn't feel like _this_. A demon's power was suffocating, it pulled at you, and threatened to overthrow your own presence. This wasn't a demon, no, it was something else entirely. The crushing aura of thing in front of them could only be from one thing and one thing only. A dragon, it's powerful crushing presence threatened to overwhelm their own. But...

This wasn't a dragon, it resembled one, but it wasn't one. Yet the power that seemed to radiate off it as it activated could only come from a dragon. The ancient mythical beasts that were said to be in hiding; that could destroy entire countries, which could level an entire city under its massive claws.

It was a dragon, but it was not. For it had the body that resembled a human.

It let loose a horrible howl. She covered her ears and cringed as the sheer volume of it shattered glass and cracked the ground beneath it. She could count the number of times she had ever felt fear, this one would be one of them.

The howling stopped, and when she looked up, she found the steel dragon's maw open, before light seemed to stream into it. No, not light, magical energy. She felt the ground shake, the air hum, and the fear that radiated as they all saw it start to power up.

"Natsu! Wendy!" She shouted as she stood immediately, ignoring her protesting body and grabbing Lucy's hand to pull the blonde with her.. They needed to move! To get away before it released the energy it was storing up!

Too late. She was too late. They were too late. Too late.

The dragon's maw snapped shut with a loud bang, before it craned its neck downwards. She was already running, towards Natsu and Wendy, she could see the others doing the same. Gray, Gajeel, even the two knights were running towards the hole, away from the dragon. They wouldn't make it; she knew they wouldn't make it.

"**Rest in piece my son. Know that your sacrifice was unnecessary, but your love for your country will be remembered.**" The king's voice echoed, the air around them hummed. Finally, she heard the energy release from behind them. She raced for Natsu and Wendy, her armor changing, but she knew it would be too late to reach them.

"Teleportation!" She turned her head towards the voice, and saw Mystogan. He had a staff out, pointed to the ground. A magic circle began to appear on the ground they were running on. From the name of the spell, it sounded like Mystogan was going to teleport them away. Which would save their lives.

But as she saw the sigil brighten and take in power, she realized that it wouldn't reach Natsu and Wendy. She looked up and towards where the two had been, and saw them both jump outside, Natsu having turned his back and was covering Wendy with his own body.

But that wasn't all she saw, she also saw Knightwalker, and the man known as Shirou Emiya standing outside, aligned with the hole they were trying to run to. It took her a second, before she realized what would happen if they stood there. They were in the line of fire; they would get sundered by the dragon's attack.

She barely got out a shout, before she felt weightlessness. The telltale sign she was on her way towards the other end of the teleportation spell.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

For some reason, dying didn't feel as bad as he thought it would. He wasn't weightless, he still had his memories, and probably his soul. He didn't feel like he was burning, and he didn't feel his arms as well…

And then he opened his eyes.

He looked down at his body, broken, mangled, skin sizzling as the air around them burned. He could no longer feel his arms because they were broken, battered, and while not completely severed, he couldn't move them.

He tried to sit up, to move, but his body protested and all the pain he couldn't feel before came crashing down onto him. His body ached, his breathing hitched, his heartbeat quickened, everything that was his body felt _wrong_. But… he was alive.

"Gu-ah." He managed to choke out with a breath. He tried to look up, towards where the column of fire had come from. But his body wouldn't even let him have that, as he felt pain as he craned his neck. He idly wondered how he was even alive, the Aias had broken, the four petals he had hastily Traced didn't hold, but he was strangely alive.

"W-why?" He heard a voice, behind him, right next to his ears. He tried to move his head, but couldn't, so he opted to remembering who the voice belonged to. It was familiar somehow… "Why?" The voice repeated, and then he realized who it was.

"W-why what?" He asked, unsure what the hell she was talking about. His voice was hoarse and weak, but there was still a semblance of life in it. He wouldn't be gurgling out a response anytime soon.

"Why did you… save me?" The voice asked, he would have shrugged his shoulders, but again, his body ached.

"I just p-pulled you b-behind m-me." Really, that was all he did. He pulled her behind him, and he Traced a bastardized Aias. He remembered telling her to run as the second or third wall broke, but everything seemed so foggy, especially with half his brain dealing with the pain.

"Not that!" What was she talking about now? And was she not aware she was talking right next to his ear? That shout made his ears ring. "Why did you turn around and cover me?!"

"I ha-ghk!" He gurgled a bit, before he managed to collect himself. Having his body mangled and broken made his breathing quicken, his lungs trying to take in as much oxygen as it can. He wasn't hyperventilating, not yet at least, but he was close to it. "I don't k-know what you're talking bout." His next few words were slurred, but it was still understandable.

"Your shield broke!" She shouted again, he suppressed a sigh… not that he needed to; his body wouldn't let him take unnecessary long breaths. Stop shouting next to my ears will you? "You jumped in front of me when it did! If I hadn't used my spear to divert the magical energy into it, you would be dead!"

"Don't remember." He gave her the honest answer. He didn't remember doing any of that. All he knew was that he closed his eyes as the last shield broke. He didn't remember throwing himself at Knightwalker to prevent her from getti- oh.

This was Saber all over again huh?

"Body moved on its own." He gave her the honest answer again. Like Saber, he hadn't thought, his body only moved on its own. He had managed to push Saber away from Berserker's killing slash, and had taken it for himself. Apparently, a similar event happened a few moments ago, this time, with a blast of magic fire.

"Your body- What the hell is wrong with you?!" He was pushed to the side, his body aching as it fell on the ground. But he managed to roll himself and face Knightwalker, who was no worse for wear then after they had fought. Only… her eyes were angry and sad at the same time.

"I've trained my body to take punishment!" She ranted as she stared at him, anger, confusion, and sadness in her eyes. "My spear would have diverted the power behind that blast! I would have survived!"

"Would you?" He asked, his voice hoarse. Knightwalker flinched, before she looked down and avoided his gaze.

Her silence was the answer, she wouldn't have survived.

Despite the pain his body was in, despite his heavy breathing and quickening heartbeat, he smiled. He smiled because he was happy. He had saved someone's life. Like he had saved Saber's against Berserker. Like Kiritsugu had saved his.

"Why are you smiling?!" Knightwalker looked up and saw his face, and if possible, her own morphed into that of a broken and defeated one. "Your body is half destroyed! Your arms are mangled! Why are you smiling when you're so close to dying!?"

"Because…" He heaved a breath. He felt his innate form of healing begin inside his body. Swords, swords were stitching together skin, bone, and muscles. He could hear them grind against each other. But that was only one part, they would reconnect the broken parts, but they couldn't heal them. That was beyond the scope of his healing factor, swords didn't heal after all. No, the swords would not heal, but reinforce his body.

The swords formed a makeshift support for his broken bones, they formed makeshift skin for his missing ones, and held together the slashed open arteries and veins and innards. He would need a doctor after this, but at least now he could move his arms.

And that was what he did; he raised his right arm, ignoring the protesting limb, and then pointed his right index finger towards Knightwalker, who was looking at him in a mixture of disgust, anger, and sadness. He realized the disgust was there because she probably saw his body stitching itself together; it was a disturbing sight to most people. "Because I saved your life." He finished with a hitch of his breath. His body was okay to move now. But as he tried to sit up, he heard the swords start grinding against each other inside his body, giving a horrifying screech as they did so.

Knightwalker looked like she wanted to question what that sound was, but ignored that question for another one. "Even at the cost of yours?" She asked, her voice low and sad.

He couldn't help it; he let out a small laugh. It was quick, and was nothing more than an amused 'ha!' but it was a laugh. A genuine one. "If I can't save lives, than mine is forfeit already."

He moved to stand, not bothering to wait for an answer from Knightwalker. He felt his knees buckle, and his elbows wobble, but he tried to anyway. Whatever that blast had been, it was obvious that wasn't the last of it.

"Let's move," He began as he stood up. He wobbled slightly, causing Knightwalker to move towards him, but he held himself together and righted himself before he fell. Now wasn't the time to fall flat on his face. "Whatever that attack was, it wasn't the last of it." He looked towards the hole again, seeing that it was marginally larger, and was charred. He could make out something inside of it, but it came out as nothing more than a blob to him.

"Dorma Anim…" He heard Knightwalker say behind him. He turned his head, and cringed as he felt it protest and gave out a horrifying screech. Before he opted to just turn his entire body, feet and all.

He raised an eyebrow, and even that small act caused his skin to grind. "Dorma Anim?" He asked, unsure what to make of the name.

Knightwalker nodded her head before she stood up, forgoing dusting herself of the dust on her body. "The Dragon Knight. A leviathan-class item that holds draconic power within its heart." Knightwalker's jaws clenched, and he saw her furrow her eyebrows. "That thing was banned by the king because it sucked in all the magic around it. Only the king can pilot the damn thing. Why is it activating now?"

He could give a good answer to that question. But held his tongue to ask another. "What exactly can it do?"

Knightwalker didn't turn to look at him, and only clenched her jaw tighter. "Besides suck in all the magic around its general area. It can nullify magic." That was… bad. "The king had said that if it should activate, Edolas will stand upon its enemies and win without falter." Knigthwalker paused, before she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Even at the cost of its own citizens lives."

He sighed. Right, the king was power hungry and was willing to sacrifice everyone for his goals. He knew this, but he was still annoyed he had agreed to help the king before. It seemed like the right idea at the time at least.

"What will you do now?" He asked the red-haired Knight Captain. And for a second, Knightwalker looked unsure. She looked ready to go back to the king, but was faltering. "What will you do?" He repeated, not waiting for her to think things over. They simply didn't have the time.

"I-" Knightwalker began but cut herself off. She closed her mouth and seemed to think her answer over, before she reopened them. "I'll talk to the king. I'm sure he's jus-"

"Just what? Trying to kill everyone in his way?" His voice was harsh, but it was the truth. This made Knightwalker flinch, and for a second, regret flickered in his mind. But he squashed that thought. There were no regrets. "Your king just tried to do that. And the result is us almost getting killed. If your spear wasn't here, and my shield wasn't here, that attack could have done a lot more damage than just the burnt grass and charred ground."

"I know that!" Knightwalker hissed at him, before she reeled back and clenched her hands into fists. "I know that." She repeated, weaker this time.

He shook his head; he wouldn't be getting an answer from Knightwalker soon. So he turned back towards the hole before he began walking towards it. "Whatever the case, that Dorma Anim thing can't be allowed to remain active if it sucks in the magic around it." Bad things usually happen when there were situations like that. Take Caster from the Grail War as an example. If she wasn't stopped, she might as well have sucked the entirety of Fuyuki and taken over the World.

"Are you crazy!?" He heard Knightwalker shout from behind him, before he felt her pull his arm back. He cringed as he felt the swords in his body grind against each other, but reigned in the pain as he stared at Knightwalker, who was giving him a half manic look of worry.

"What?" He asked, honestly annoyed. Knightwalker let go of his arm and stared at him as if he were indeed crazy.

"You can't take that thing!" She reasoned to him. "You're half-dead on your feet! That thing is immune to magic! It's also based on my father's magic and techniques!" That was new, but not at all surprising. Her father was Ignios, the Dragon Knight. Now he was fighting Dorma Anim, the Dragon Knight. Parallels really. "Just leave! I'll talk to the king."

He shook his head. "Mystogan tried to do that." He gestured towards the hole. "Then this happened." He gestured towards the charred ground. He then looked up at Knightwalker and locked eyes with her. "The king cannot be reasoned with anymore. Someone has to fight him."

Knightwalker growled. "And why should it be you?" She asked coldly. He answered by shrugging his shoulders.

"Because I'm in this to the end." He answered immediately. Idly, he remembered the first night in the Grail War. In all three timelines, he had made a pact with Saber, to fight until the end of it. Here he had no such promises; he wasn't even tied down, not anymore at least.

But there was one thing that made Shirou Emiya want to keep going, to see it through to the end. And that was the reason why he was still here, still fighting, even if half his body had been charred, his arms broken, his organs slashed by the sheer force of the blast. It was the reason he was still fighting, half-dead on his feet, with nothing but swords holding up his body. It was encoded into his very being, the reason he was reborn from the flames of that fire.

And that was to save, to save as many people as possible. Even at the cost of people misunderstanding his words, misunderstanding his actions, his intentions.

For a second, Knightwalker didn't say anything. But that second passed, and then Knightwalker sighed. "I don't know whether I should admire, or be exasperated at your hardheadedness." Knightwalker told him with a slight smile.

He shrugged, an act that caused even more discomfort in his body. "Why not both?"

Knightwalker chuckled at his answer. "Indeed, why not?" Knightwalker's face then turned into something grim. "I won't pretend anymore that my king is within reason. But…" She paused, eyeing him warily. "You should stay out of this fight. You'll just die."

His answer was swift and immediate. "No. I'm fighting." Yeah, you really shouldn't tell him he shouldn't fight. Half the reason why he had been so close to dying in the Grail War was because he chose to fight battles that were beyond him anyway.

Knightwalker sighed again. This time, in exasperation. "I had a feeling you would say that." She walked forward until she was right next to him. "I'll have to keep you in check then. You're not dying if I can help you."

He stared at her, and for a second, he didn't say anything. Finally, his mouth came faster than his mind, and he spoke up. "You're betraying your king?" He asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Yeah." Knightwalker nodded her head. She then turned towards him, giving him a half-smirk. "I have a personal policy of not letting someone who attacked me live. Whether this was intentional or not."

He looked at her and felt one of his eyebrows raise in confusion. "What about me?" He asked the obvious question.

Knightwalker shrugged at him. "You're a special case." He looked at her questioningly. She turned towards him and smirked. "You attacked me with my father's ideal. Well, half his ideal. Now you're half-past dead. That means I don't have to kill you anymore." He scrunched his face up at that logic.

"And the other Erza?" He asked, remembering the other person that had probably attacked her.

Knightwalker just shook her head. "Can't rightly kill her." She began. "We're too evenly matched for us to kill each other. And I was ordered by my king to subdue them and bring them to him." Knightwalker paused, before she added. "Well, former king anyway."

He shook his head. "You said you admired your father." He began, remembering Knightwalker's own words. "He was the best knight, the one that followed his king's orders to the end. You wanted to surpass him." He listed out the reasons why helping him was a bad idea for her. "If you help me now, that would be turning your back on all those things." This was true; he didn't want anyone helping him. Especially if the person helping them will lose their lives and their ideals just to help him. He almost suffered a fate like that, losing his own ideals for the truth of following them. He didn't want anyone suffering the same fate as he did, the despair, the anger for himself, for Archer. Everything.

Knigthwalker's answer surprised him. Perhaps a little too much as he felt his eyes widen as he stared at her. "My father lacked the heart to betray his king, and took his own life because his king ordered his death." Knightwalker began before she faced forward. "I am better than my father. He couldn't fight for what he believed in was right to the end. I will surpass him by fighting for what I believe in _until_ the end."

He could feel a slight smile appear on his face. "Well, can't really argue with that." He stepped forward with Knightwalker, before he noticed something. "And you can't fight without a weapon."

Knightwalker scoffed at him. "Please. I've fought people with nothing but my bare hands before." Emphasizing her point, she threw a quick jab forward, before she reeled her hand back in and settled into a boxing orthodox stance. "I can fight without my spear."

He just stared at her blankly. "Even against a dragon knight?" Yeah… no way was he going to allow Knightwalker to fight without something.

Before Knightwalker could respond to his question, he held out his hand and closed his eyes. "Trace On." He muttered his aria as he called for the weapon that would be in Knightwalker's hands.

He called for it, and in the next second, it was in his hands. The spear that Knightwalker used appeared in blue motes of light. He stared at it as it formed, scrutinized it in its entirety. He noticed Knightwalker reaching for it, and then he quickly dismissed it. Making Knightwalker's hand reel back in surprise.

"What?" He heard her mutter. But he ignored it and instead focused once more. "Trace On." Again he spoke his aria, calling for another weapon.

This one wasn't the weapon of Knightwalker, this was no longer the spear that could change shape, that could change the way it could be wielded. No, this was now just a spear. Its shaft was made of steel, thick and shone bright white, but it was not unwieldy and unsightly. The end of the spear held a single steel speartip, sharp, shining, and oozing light as it seemed to drain the air around it. The light bled out of the tip, and into wisps of light around the spear, encircling it and giving it power.

In some iterations of the legends, Saint George wielded a sword and slew a dragon. In other versions, Saint George wielded a spear of light, a spear that had managed to strike a dragon's heart and drain it of its power. This was his spear, this was Ascalon: The Spear that Rends Dragon Hearts.

"Here." He held out his hand to give Knightwalker the thick dragon killing spear. Who only stared at is in surprise and weariness. He wasn't exactly sure if this spear could help fight against the thing that was inside that observatory. But at the very least, this was something much more true to the original than his first try of Tracing Knightwalker's spear.

Tentatively, Knightwalker reached out for the spear before she grasped it in her hand. She examined it for a second, feeling the weight of it, observing the light that escaped the tip of its end, and generally just scrutinizing the Noble Phantasm.

"What is it?" She asked him as she finally placed it to her side. He stared at it for a second, before he answered.

"Ascalon." He began. "The Spear that Rends Dragon Hearts." He paused as he looked up at Knightwalker's face. "It's not the original. But it's as close as you're going to get."

Knightwalker's face scrunched up. "While I admit this is a very beautiful and powerful spear." She complimented it as she cast a quick look towards it before she looked back up at him. "I still would prefer my own spear."

He shook his head. "It would only hinder you." He answered her. But as Knightwalker scowled, he continued. "The weapons in my armory, they aren't the original. I can replicate a weapon, even to feel real for most other people. But one thing I can't do is fool the person that wielded it in the first place." He explained. "If I Traced your spear for you, it'll feel wrong for you. There would be some minute details that would probably cause you to slip, stumble, or fall. I can't replicate something to perfection. I can only replicate it to what I think should be perfect." This was true. If he copied Gae Bolg and gave it to Lancer of his war, he'd probably laugh, break it in two, before proceeding to shove the original into his heart just to let him feel the original. That or he'd compliment him for giving him a copy that's so close, before he would still snap it in half and tell him that it's not even close. Close but not close. Yeah, that would probably be what Lancer would say.

There was no rule that said an imitation couldn't beat the original. But in the case of Heroic Spirits and their Noble Phantasms, the original will always come out on top. Because they had mastered it, a copy couldn't hold the same weight.

Knightwalker was placated at his explanation. "Alright then." She began as she faced forward towards the observatory.

"Hey guys!" A new voice shouted from their side. They both turned towards it, and saw Natsu and Wendy running over towards them. Natsu was a little charred from the back, but otherwise, looking fine. Wendy was unscathed at all.

The two Fairy Tail members finally reached them, and upon catching their breath, looked up at both him and Knightwalker. He noticed how both Fairy Tail members' eyes instantly locked onto his rather mangled form.

Wendy let out a gasp as she put a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide in shock and alarm at seeing his body. While the other guy, Natsu, stared at him with gritted teeth and barely contained anger at giving him a once over.

He waved them both off, an action that caused confusion to them both. "I'll be fine." He assured them. Honestly, having a half-burnt body, with broken arms, and slashed organs wasn't the most deadly of injuries for him. Sure the organs were damaged, but they could still work, his arms were broken, but he could set them back and support them with swords, and his skin was burned and charred, but swords could replace his skin for now. No, these injuries were nothing to be alarmed about.

Now, if his heart was pierced, his body (almost) cut in half, and his lungs having exploded from sheer force as Ea blindsided him, then that was something to worry about. Though, in those cases, he never really had anything to worry about, since Rin and more importantly, Saber's sheath were implanted within him.

"Wait!" Wendy moved up to his side, and though the girl's eyes were wide and shaking, she reached up towards him and pulled him towards her. Immediately after, he felt the wind around them begin to circulate the area. "Let me heal you first."

He felt himself getting calmed by the soothing wind. It was like a beach breeze really, Fuyuki City had a beach, a costal city like that, how could it not have one? He used to go there after Kiritsugu died, just to clear his head. He wasn't sad that his father died. No, he couldn't be sad after seeing him die with a smile on his face. But he was melancholic for awhile after that. He used to go down to the pier to just clear his head, letting the ocean breeze go past his face as he closed his eyes.

So it was almost regretful that he pulled his hand away from Wendy, despite the girl's protests. "Sorry," He apologized to her. "But healing me now will have more detrimental effects than anything. My body is being supported by my healing factor, and if you heal me now without them leaving, it might permanently set the things in my bones." Having swords as bones wasn't a good thing. He needed a doctor yes, a healing doctor. But that was after his swords receded. If he was healed right now, the swords would most likely set permanently due to his body having healed over the things. And if that wasn't the case, when the swords disappeared while his body had healed themselves over it, he would have excess tissue and excess space in his body.

"B-but…" Wendy tried to protest again. She looked up at him, concern etched onto her face. He let out a small smile, before he bent down to her level. The swords within him grinded themselves against each other, and created another set of creaking sounds much like that of a nail on a chalkboard. This surprised the two newcomers, but he was used to it, and most likely Knightwalker too.

He looked straight into the girl's eyes. "Thanks for worrying. But I'll be fine." He assured her as he pat her on the shoulder. "I'm pretty tough. You just worry about healing your friends, okay?" He finished before he stood up and straightened himself. Though not without catching another glimpse of the worry filled eyes of Wendy.

It struck him then, Wendy wasn't just worried about him because they needed his help. No, he was worried about him because that was how she was. The shy girl was empathizing with him. He guessed if she was given a chance, she would heal her enemies just as soon as she would heal her allies.

He shook his head. "You're a nice girl Wendy." He said as he looked forward. "Don't ever let anything change that about you. Even if your friends betray you, if your ideals betray you, or even if the world comes crashing down on you." He spoke with a passion. He didn't want to see Wendy lose herself just because her ideals, her friends, or her entire world comes crashing down onto her. He had the same thing happen to him, though the part about his friends betraying him wasn't true.

"Hey." He heard Natsu call out to him, and he turned to face the pink-haired man. Natsu stared at him with an unreadable expression, before he scowled. "I kinda understand what you're trying to say. And I agree with you." Natsu then raised his left fist and punched his right hand with it in a show of force. He raised an eyebrow at that, why the sudden show of force? "But if you ever say that Wendy's friends'll betray her. Then you and I are gonna have a long talk with our fists, got it? Fairy Tail won't ever betray each other. If the world comes crashing down on one of our family, then we'll hold it up with them. You got that?" Natsu finished with a sly grin.

He blinked at the words Natsu threw at him. Before he felt his own smile appearing on his face. He nodded his head. "Got it." Before he turned around and faced the observatory once more.

To his side, he heard Knightwalker sigh. "I'll never understand what it means when you protect your family members." Knightwalker admitted. He cast a quick look towards her, and she only shook her head. "If you're so worried about them, then make them train so you don't have to worry about them. What's the point of helping them after that?"

"I don't know about training them," He heard Natsu begin to answer and turned towards him. "But even the strongest of us need help sometimes. Look at Mystogan – err – Jellal. He's one of our strongest members and he asked for help." Natsu explained.

Knightwalker only snorted at that. "The prince is weak. He's always been weak." Knightwalker raised Ascalon and then pointed it forward, towards the observatory. "If he couldn't even stop his father from whatever it was he felt was wrong, then he shouldn't drag others into the problem."

He raised an eyebrow. And once again, his mouth moved quicker than his thoughts. "Kinda hypocritical don't you think?" He muttered, but was heard by both Natsu and Knightwalker.

He caught sight of Knightwalker's flushed face. "S-shut up!" Knightwalker snapped at him. He felt a smile tug on his lips.

"Hypo-what?" Natsu asked, confused. "Is that a type of fish?" He… didn't know how to answer that question, was he being serious? "And don't wave that spear around! That thing's giving me the creeps. Just what is that?"

He could almost feel Knightwalker's vindictive smirk. "Ascalon," She began, before he heard her twirl the spear and then point it at Natsu. "The Spear that Rends Dragon Hearts." She repeated the name of the Noble Phantasm much like he had a few minutes prior. "I don't exactly know if it'll work on a real dragon… wanna help me find out Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer?"

"Hell no!" He heard Natsu yelp before he heard the man shuffle to his left. "You keep that damn thing away from me ya hear?!" Why was he so scared? Shouldn't he want one like that? He was a Dragon Slayer right?

He had been so engrossed with talking with Knightwalker, Natsu, and Wendy. That he had almost forgotten what was awaiting them in the observatory.

Unfortunately for them, the thing that awaited them came to them instead.

Another loud roar pierced the air around them, screeching, ear piercing, and terrifying. Before it was followed by a loud crash, as the walls to the observatory came crashing down. He looked towards the observatory, and finally saw what they were supposed to go against.

If he had to use a word to describe the Dorma Anim, it would be bulky. Bulky, but extremely dangerous. And as the large metallic dragon knight stopped just fifteen meters from them, the wall it had just went through crumbling down behind it. He wondered if he had enough energy in himself to fight it.

The thought was immediately washed away. "Trace On." He muttered. Of course he had enough energy. And even if he didn't, even if his body was half broken, he would use the parts that weren't broken. If he couldn't use any part of his body, he would use the parts that weren't there.

"**Knightwalker!"** He heard the king's distorted voice come out of the metallic dragon knight. **"Why do you stand with a traitor and a fairy? Have you betrayed me like your father betrayed mine?"**

As two familiar set of curved swords appeared in both his hands, he heard Knightwalker's answer… which was to charge forward with all her might.

He blinked as Knightwalker's form appeared in his vision, before he heard another set of feet running forward. He then saw Natsu's own form, charging with a half-manic grin on his face, shouting all the while he charged.

As Knightwalker met the dragon knight, he watched as she darted in and threw the spear forward, causing a slight wound to appear on the metallic dragon's lower leg. Well, it seems like his magic worked on the thing at least.

"I'll fight too." He blinked as he looked down to his left. Where Wendy was standing with a determined look on her face. He was about to say she should stay out of this, but she spoke up, cutting him off.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer." She was? Well… damn. They started out young here didn't they? Not like he could talk though, since he started trying to become a magus at age ten. "I may not be as strong as Natsu or Gajeel, but I was trained to slay dragons." He could hear the conviction in Wendy's voice, and felt his own argument dying as she stepped forward. "So I'll fight. If my friends can't, then I will for them. That's the Fairy Tail way."

He felt a smile tug on his lips. You have to admire these kinds of people really. "Support us from the rear." He said out loud as he stepped forward, past Wendy. "We'll need you to heal us as we fight it. We can't risk you in the middle of the fighting; you're our only chance if we want to get this thing turned to scrap." He didn't know if the dragons they were used to were the same as his. But he wouldn't be taking chances. It was better to overestimate an opponent then underestimate them.

"Got it!" He heard Wendy agree with him. He didn't respond beyond darting forward, Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands as he raised them above his head before Reinforcing his body with prana. He felt his arms strengthen, the bones in them harden, and the swords within them strengthen. He was at the Metallic Dragon Knight's foot in two seconds, before he brought down both Kanshou and Bakuya to slash at the metallic appendage.

They shattered immediately. He cursed, he had sorely underestimated the thickness and the hardness of the thing's armor. He threw himself backwards as the Dragon Knight's foot lashed out against him. It barely brushed his body, before he landed on his back. He watched as the raised foot came down towards him, but he wasn't idle. He twisted his body and rolled to the side, barely avoiding getting squashed by the foot.

"Trace On!" Another set of Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands, this time slightly Altered in their composition. And even before they fully finished forming, he was already on his feet and slashing against the foot that had almost squashed him.

This time, instead of outright getting shattered, the swords managed to cause a slight gash that appeared lengthwise on the mechanical dragon's foot. He didn't think it would do much, since the dragon knight thing was mechanical and thus couldn't feel pain. But he did manage to scratch it.

The difference between this set of Kanshou and Bakuya wasn't much. It was only slightly Altered after all. The main materials that formed Kanshou and Bakuya was a steel alloy. A steel alloy mixed in with the literal blood, sweat, and tears of a blacksmith forced by his king to make the most beautiful swords he had ever seen. So it was almost regrettable that he had to Alter the sword.

Alteration, when applied to objects around him, he could turn them into something else. A sword could turn into a heavy dagger, an axe into a spear. He could even turn a table into a couch if he wanted to. But although Alteration was in between Projection and Reinforcement, that didn't mean he couldn't Alter something as he was Tracing it. Nine Lives Blade Works was an Altered version of Shooting Hundred Heads, and even Knightwalker's spear, the one he had Traced to show her his magecraft, was an Altered version of it.

Yes, he could Alter things while in the Tracing process. He had done so with nothing but a large wooden stick, Altering it to turn into a bastardized version of Archer's bow during his, Saber's, and Rin's fight against Berserker. And while he didn't outright Trace a stick, he had actually managed to record it after it turned into a bow.

So now he had managed something else, that instead of having a steel alloy mixed in with the body of a human being, Bakuya was now a sword of steel and Ivory alloy mixed in with a human's body. And while Ivory itself wasn't a metal, even if it couldn't theoretically be used as an alloy, he had just done so. And it yielded better results.

Kanshou was very much the same. Steel mixed in with Obsidian. The thought of Ebony being what made the other part of it never crossed his mind. Ebony was made of wood, and a wooden sword would do him no good here.

He jumped back, not waiting for a retaliation strike that would surely come from the hulking monstrosity all four of them were fighting. He was vaguely aware that Natsu had taken to punching the thing with flaming fists and had even slashed at it with two whips made of fire. And although the attacks had made the metallic dragon stumble a bit, it was still standing.

Knightwalker was no different. He looked up and saw Knightwalker slashing and piercing the different parts of the mecha dragon. Slash and puncture wounds appeared where she struck, but most, if not all, of them were superficial at best. Doing nothing that would stop the dragon itself from functioning.

It was with dawning horror he realized, they wouldn't be able to stop this thing. Not with the attacks they threw at it now.

"**Is this it?"** As if reading his thoughts, the king's garbled voice echoed around the open courtyard outside the observatory. His tone was mocking and scathing even though it was demented and contorted. **"Is this all you have? The Fairies I'm not so surprised with. But Knightwalker and Emiya. I expected better from you both."** The king's voice sounded disappointed. Before a sigh escaped the dragon's maw, sounding extremely out of place for the giant mechanical thing. **"Allow me my counterattack."**

And with those words, he heard humming as _something_ powered up.

"Get back!" He shouted. His instincts telling him that whatever was coming, they needed to step away from it. _Far_ away from it.

His instincts were both right and wrong. Both Knightwalker and Natsu had followed his directions, with Natsu stopping by Wendy to pick her up before continuing to run away from the menacing dragon. And they had garnered a considerable distance away from the thing, before he heard metal clank against metal.

He saw what happened, the dragon's chest opened to reveal pods lodged inside it. He immediately recognized what it was, and cursed himself. Of all the times they could have shown something modern, it had to be now, and it had to be a rapid-fire rocket launcher.

"Everyone get behind a wall!" He shouted hastily as he dove for a wall, rolling behind it as he heard the sounds of rockets launching. He couldn't look towards the others, as the explosions started happening a few seconds later; some were close, while some were far, but they rocked the ground and shook the wall he was leaning on. He had to move aside as a particularly close rocket had hit a few meters to the side, and had created a hole where even more rockets streamed into the hall the wall he was leaning on had hidden.

He stepped out into open ground, not risking his life in staying in one place, before he started running. Circling around the dragon knight as rocket after rocket exploded on the ground, in the air, and even on each other as he ran.

A close rocket exploded right in front of him, and he was buffeted debris that came from the ground. He also stopped, only for a second, but that second was precious.

He looked up, and saw two rockets coming towards him at insane speeds. He cursed, he couldn't dodge them, even if he was uninjured. His body was too weak to take them, he would die, he would die if they hit him.

He was saved from certain doom however, as two swords suddenly struck both rockets in midair and caused them both to explode just a few feet above him. He didn't waste anytime, he full on sprinted forward, towards the dragon knight, Kanshou and Bakuya poised to strike. He was already out in the open, why not just go forward and towards the enemy? They couldn't right fire their rockets at themselves anyway.

He reached the dragon's foot quickly and without problems, the rockets exploding around him as each one was pierced by sword after sword. He was at the foot in five seconds, and had slashed at it with Kanshou. The black blade embedded itself into the dragon's foot, before he ran forward, letting Kanshou open a gash on the mechanical foot and sending sparks flying everywhere. He idly wondered how his magic seemed to work on this supposedly magic immune dragon, before he was brought back up to reality as the dragon's other foot swung towards him.

His momentary lapse in thought cost him, the foot hit him square on the chest, instantly shattering three of his floating ribs, and caving in his sternum. He was dragged through the air as the foot continued its arc, sending him flying through the air with only Bakuya in his hands as he was forced to let go of Kanshou as he was dragged forward.

He didn't spin through the air, and he landed with rather painfully on his back, rolling on the ground as he finally stopped right next to a crater and rolled down the center of it. He was vaguely aware the rockets had stopped firing and exploding, he vaguely heard the king's voice shouting in the dragon's demented voice, but he was too busy writhing on the ground as his own healing factor tried to heal his broken bones and caved sternum.

"Sir Shirou!" He heard a familiar voice, was that Wendy's? Shout as two sets of footsteps began running down the crater he was in. He opened one eye, and even though he wanted to groan in pain, he forced himself to speak.

"That… w-wasn't a very smart move." Hindsight was twenty-twenty. He shouldn't have charged in like that, no plan whatsoever. That wasn't how he did things. Still, he justified himself that it was the only logical thing to do. He was given a chance to advance, and he took it. Maybe attacking head-on was bad, but he was also opportunistic. He shouldn't have underestimated that mechanical dragon in the first place.

"Hang on, let me heal you." He heard Wendy say to him. He raised his hand to argue, to stop her from healing him as his own healing factor took place, but another voice cut him off.

"Just shut up will ya?" It was Natsu's voice. He then knew who the other person was, the blur with a head full of pink was the brash Fairy Tail member. "You're hurt; we need you at full power if we wanna take that thing down. So shut up and let Wendy heal you, alright?" The words formed a question, but the tone suggested a declaration.

He couldn't help but smile a little. He then let his own innate healing factor slow. He couldn't outright stop it from healing him, but he could slow it enough for Wendy to work with it. Since his healing factor was more or less just first-aid that held his body together instead of outright healing him. "Alright," He agreed with a nod of his head. He could make out Wendy smiling at him for a second, before she focused on the task of healing him.

He could feel the air around them begin swirling and becoming wind. The wind took on the smell of the ocean, relaxing and calming. He then started to feel his sternum inflating, his ribs healing, and his general chest area start feeling outright better.

It wasn't as fast as his swords, but it was a hell of a lot more comfortable. He could feel the broken ribs in his chest actually begin to regrow, the caved sternum begin to inflate as air filled it. He was surprised that air was so versatile for this world, for Wendy's magic. If it could heal like this, what else could it do? Wind was the most damaging element in his world, but here, it seemed like wind was something that could heal and destroy.

He sucked in a breath of air as his lungs to inflate, no longer being held down by his caved sternum. His broken ribs were still sore, and were still mending, but they were regrowing. He sat up, ignoring the protests that came from Wendy. "Sorry," He apologized to the small pre-teen girl. "But I can't wait around for my whole body to heal. I can fight like this." At his words, his own healing factor took over, swords began to encroach around his ribs and lengthened them to what their original length was, only instead of bone, the rest of the ribs were formed with swords.

"But-!" Wendy continued to argue, but he shook his head. It was nice that Wendy was so concerned about his health. But if he wasn't fighting, his health would be the least of his problems.

He stood up, rolling his shoulders as he did so. Weirdly, Bakuya was still in his right hand, and he only then realized that his own reflexes with using the twin swords were so honed that he wouldn't let them go even if he was flung through the air and rolled on the ground multiple times.

"You okay to fight?" Natsu asked him, eyes locking with his.

He craned his neck to both sides, satisfied that they weren't stiff, before he nodded at Natsu. "I'll be fine. We have to fight anyway." That was true, they needed to fight, if not, who knows what the king'll do.

Natsu nodded his head at him in return. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted as a shout from above them echoed around the crater. "Natsu! Wendy!"

The voice was familiar, but at the same time, not. It was Knightwalker's voice, but the concern it held for both Natsu and Wendy sounded foreign and out of character for Knightwalker. So when he turned around, he wasn't too surprised to see Knightwalker's face, but with a different posture and look in her eyes.

This was the other Erza. Scarlet if he remembered correctly.

The Fairy Tail mage was wearing some kind of black armor that reminded him of a bat. Complete with bat wings on the back and a large buster sword comprised of the same material as the armor she wore. He analyzed the sword, and recorded it into his Blade Works. It wasn't anything special, but it was hard. Extremely so, hard enough to knock a building over if hit with enough force.

"Erza!" Natsu waved at the woman before he ran over towards her. A bright grin on his face as he did so. "So you were the one that threw those swords?"

He saw Erza nod at Natsu. "Yes," She confirmed, before turning towards him. "That was certainly courageous, charging in like that. But it wasn't the best of ideas."

He grimaced. "I know." His voice came out colder than he thought. But it wasn't at all paid attention to as Erza only nodded her head at him.

"At least you know and won't repeat the same mistake." Erza said. She then turned back towards Natsu and Wendy. "We have to move. Mystogan has given us a rundown on what exactly that thing is." He didn't need to think about what she was talking about. And judging from the tone in her voice, it was clear she was a little disconcerted about what exactly it was. "It's best if we retreat and think up a new plan."

He frowned, her voice had turned hard and uncompromising. Like she expected someone to say n- "No." Well, looks like he was right. Natsu shook his head at Erza, who let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Natsu-" She began, sounding like she was about to explain why they should run.

Natsu however, was having none of it. "I don't care what it is Erza." He spoke, serious and completely resolute. "If that king is left alone like this, who knows what'll happen!"

He agreed to that completely. "You know what it does right?" He asked Erza, who turned towards him and nodded her head. He responded with his own nod. "Then you know that leaving it alone is the worst thing we can do."

Erza however, only shook her head at him. "Regardless, we lack the means to damage it." She explained, and while he could refute that easily, he allowed her to continue. "It is better if we double back and think of a plan to-"

"Will you listen to yourself Erza?!" He blinked at the furious tone Natsu had taken. He wasn't the only one surprised, as even Erza and Wendy took a step back at the sheer anger they could feel radiating from the Dragon Slayer.

Erza however, regained her composure and took a step forward. "Natsu, don't argue with m-" Erza's tone was unflinching and uncompromising. But Natsu didn't care, he just interrupted her again.

"You're saying you just want to watch that thing rampage around here?!" Natsu's half-asked half-shouted. Erza grimaced a little, but didn't say anything as Natsu continued. "If we don't stop that thing, who knows what'll happen! We can't just sit back and think! We don't have time!"

Erza grit her teeth. "You think I don't know that Natsu?!" She responded angrily. Natsu didn't flinch away as Erza locked eyes with him. "I want to stop that thing as much as you do, but I know that we won't be able to damage it much less destroy it! Fighting that thing is a fool's errand without a plan!"

He shook his head as he stepped forward. "We don't have time to argue." He spoke coldly, ignoring the hot looks he got from both Natsu and Erza for interrupting them. He then turned towards Erza. "Take your guild members and go." He began. Surprising the scarlet-haired woman as she furrowed her eyebrows at his words. "I'll fight the thing and destroy it." He stated, seriously.

For a second, Erza looked unsure, but then that second passed and she shook her head. "If we're going, you're coming with us." Erza frowned as she seemed to remember something. "Knightwalker too."

He shook his head at her. "I doubt Knightwalker will be willing to retreat." He began. "And I'm not either. If I don't stop this thing right here and now, and it continues to rampage, it'll keep sucking up the magic around it. It has to be stopped here and now." He wouldn't budge on this, no matter what, he'll keep fighting.

Natsu turned towards him, a grim smile on his lips as he nodded his head at him. "Yeah," Natsu spoke, causing Erza's eyes to shift back towards the Dragon Slayer. "Sorry Erza, I'm really scared of you, but I'm not budging about this, not one bit."

Erza looked like she was about to say something, but was cut-off as Wendy spoke up this time. "S-sorry Erza." The girl apologized. He heard her from behind him, and he realized the girl had walked towards his back and used him as a slight buffer from Erza. "B-but I'm fighting too. I can't let them fight alone."

Erza's gaze seemed to soften a little as she stared at Wendy. But it quickly hardened and turned into a reprimanding one. He was surprised as he felt Wendy grip the back of his shirt, her fists balling the fabric as she hid behind his back. He was mildly uncomfortable at the closeness, but recognized a plea for help when he saw one.

He shifted a little to block Erza's gaze towards Wendy. Before he spoke up. "Sorry," He apologized to her. She was being made to look the bad guy here, but honestly, Erza didn't look like she cared. There was a bigger problem and she acknowledged that. She needed to be firm in this case, but she was failing in telling her guild mates to retreat simply because both were as hardheaded as her. "But it seems like you're outvoted." That was a lame line, he almost felt like reaching up and smacking his face with his hand as it finally digested. But it was the truth. Three to one, Erza couldn't do anything about this. One was half naked with just his pants on and a tattoo of sorts on his chest. And the other was someone with a scowl and multiple piercing all over his face.

"You sound like an old woman. Whatever happened to punch first ask questions later?" The half-naked one spoke, a smirk appearing on his lips as he jumped down into the crater. He was followed by the other three shortly.

"Gray, Gajeel." Erza spoke both their names sounding slightly surprised. "I thought I told you two to stay with Mystogan."

"We put him someplace safe." The half-naked one – Gray – countered. "He's fluttering in and out of consciousness, but he's otherwise fine."

"You just left him alone?" Erza's voice was incredulous, and more than a little angry. Gray shrugged his shoulders, seemingly undisturbed by Erza's tone.

"He asked us to." That seemed to mollify Erza somewhat, as she stared at Gray in surprise. "He told us to stop the Dorma Anim, to help his country. He was sorta loopy for a while there, but we kinda got the jist of what exactly he wanted us to do." Gray paused before he shrugged. "'Sides, Lucy and those two knights are with'em. Lucy's a little loopy as well from the Teleportation, but otherwise, they're all safe and hidden."

He saw Gajeel snort right beside Gray. "I don't think we can misinterpret Mystogan's words. If you did, you'd be denser than Natsu."

Gray bristled. "I resent that!" He chortled as he turned a glare towards Gajeel.

Fortunately, before anything could come of the shouting, Natsu interrupted. "You're being weird Erza." He voiced out, his voice cutting through the chatter around them. He heard the sound of metal clashing against metal above the crater, and he remembered that Knightwalker was still fighting up there. "You don't normally think things through, you just go in most of the time, like me."

He shifted a little, and opened his mouth to speak. But was stopped from doing so by Erza. "We have to think here Natsu." She voiced, her tone imploring. "That mechanical dragon is immune to magic, it can suck in magic as well. If we don't think a good plan to-"

"Here's a good plan." Natsu interrupted as he stepped forward towards Erza. They locked eyes with each other, and he could practically see the defiance in Natsu's eyes as he stared at the scarlet-haired woman. "We go up there, and we destroy that thing. It's a dragon, so we dragon slayers can take it. You stay back and let us do the work."

"Like hell we'll let you do that." Gray shouted before Erza could say anything. Natsu and Erza turned towards the man, before Gray spoke up again. "We're fighting, whether you like it or not Flamebrain, Erza. And as much as I hate admitting this, Natsu's part of Fairy Tail too! I'll be damned if he kicks the buckets and I'm not the one that does it!"

He watched as the Dragon Slayer and the half-naked man started to argue, before he let out a sigh while shaking his head. "I'm going." He stated, his words cutting through the air and making everyone turn towards him. He shifted a little at the attention, before he shook his head and continued on. "This isn't something to think about. Either we put a stop to that thing rampaging, or we sit back and watch as it destroys its surroundings. I don't have to think about this to answer; I know what I'm going to do." He finished as he turned around and started to trudge up the crater.

He reached the top of the crater and pulled himself up. Before he turned and looked down from above. He saw almost all of the mages inside the crater were looking at him. He thought of what else to say to them, but only shook his head again. There was nothing left _to_ say. So he just turned around, and locked onto the Dorma Anim.

"Trace On," He reached for two familiar swords. But he also knew this wouldn't be enough. Kanshou and Bakuya Altered could probably give light wounds to the mechanical beast, but it wouldn't do any good. It felt no pain, and he doubted if his slashing could actually do anything other than give it a few nicks. Even Knightwalker, who he saw was still engaging the dragon like a she were some kind of human fly, drifting up and around the dragon as she stung with Ascalon, didn't do much damage aside from light pierce wounds and slash marks.

But he didn't care. He couldn't care. He wouldn't care. If Kanshou and Bakuya couldn't work, he'd just imagine something that will. If his body broke down, he'd use the parts that weren't broken. If everything was lost, if he couldn't think of anything in his Blade Works to defeat it, if his entire body lay broken and mangled, he'd just imagine a weapon that _can_ defeat it. He'd use the parts that _weren't_ there.

These were his thoughts every time he went into battle. These were the things he imagined himself doing as he fought, using parts that didn't belong to him, using weapons that should be impossible. He always, _always_, entered into battle expecting he would die. Die, but never lose. Die, but never win.

"**I Am the Bone of My Sword."** The words rolled through his mouth like oil. He wouldn't use Unlimited Blade Works here. That would take too long, and his body wouldn't be able to handle the strain of using that much Prana. But what he could do, was force his World to manifest bit by bit into the world around him.

And that was what he was going to do.

"**Steel is My Body, and Fire is my Blood."** The world shifted. Swords, spears, axes, hammers appeared in his mind. From the deeper recesses of the Blade Works they surfaced. The image of Kanshou and Bakuya strengthened as he understood them deeper, in a more intimate level. Like they were naked in front of his eyes.

He watched as Knightwalker shifted up, down, left and right of the Dorma Anim. The spear in her hands doing meager damage. He understood why it was only doing superficial damage. He understood, and that was the reason why he knew what he should do next.

The Dorma Anim let loose a howl. A howl that pierced the air, the rumbled the ground it walked upon, that sucked in the magic around it. Grass withered under the dragon, and for a moment, Knightwalker faltered. That moment gave him a good look of the flickering image of Ascalon as the magic was sucked around the Dragon Knight.

He frowned, right, he needed to end this in one stroke. Or at least, he needed someone to follow up and end it in the next one.

Ascalon was a weapon that sucked in a dragon's power. That made the power of the dragon the wielder's own. And that was what he was going to use.

He focused on the Dragon, on the mechanical knight that was inspired by Knightwalker's father. Before he closed and his eyes and took a deep breath. Three seconds to inhale, and three seconds to exhale.

When he finished, he charged forward, Kanshou and Bakuya readying for their next – and hopefully – last strike.

**XxX**

**Note, I have not proofread this to my liking yet. It's fine right now, but forgive any glaring mistakes. I'm in a rush here.**

**Cutting this in two. Too long. Broke my cardinal rule of a long chapter.**

**Again folks, I keep mentioning the story that I heavily dislike because you guys keep mentioning it in your reviews. I'll stop mentioning it if you guys will. I've made my opinion about it known to discourage you guys from mentioning it, but some of you guys don't get it and some even waste a review to ask why I don't like it. That's something you PM guys, not Review a story on.**

**Anyway, Erza is being OOC here. I know, but that's just for this chapter. I won't justify it, simply because I have a perfectly reasonable explanation explained in the story itself. If you guys don't notice it, I'll ask you to read again. If you still don't get it, PM me any of your questions and I'll answer it.**

**Aside from that, what do you guys think? Is this first part good or bad? Tell me what you liked and disliked so that I can go over these things and improve my writing.**

**And by the way. I'll be posting a one-shot in the next few hours after this. A DxD and Fate oneshot. Hopefully it doesn't start something as this was made without the intention of doing anything but express my opinion on what Shirou would do with an Asia that wants to start drinking.**

**Edit: So many people telling me to go to the wiki for facts. Just... wow. Wiki for facts. Yeah, not happening. Partially Tracing something happened. Shirou partially Traced Rho Aias in Hollow Atraxia. Four petals. Four, freaking, petals. Archer blew through those four petals with one Hrunting. And by the way, Nine Lives Blade Works? That was Altered. Shirou couldn't possibly have Traced Nine Lives: Shooting Hundred Heads. He had to Alter it to make it work for his body.**

**I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again. I know a lot about the Nasuverse. I get sources from the games and official magazines. I go on Beast's lair and ask. I don't go on the wiki and immediately take what it says there as the truth. I research. This is getting annoying, especially since most of these reviewers are just people anonymously reviewing. **

**And Hollow Atraxia is not for the LOLZ!. It actually happened. Go find it.**

**Anyways, I'm out. Peace!**


	12. Dorma Anim: II

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything… well, maybe I do own a Zhuge Liang, Emiya, Elizabeth, and Heracles in Fate Grand Order. Other than that though, nothing.**

**XxX**

He ducked and weaved as he approached the giant mechanical dragon that vaguely resembled a bulky man. He had long since disregarded trying to strike back, since his attacks left only superficial wounds at best, and nicks and small gashes at worst. He wasn't doing any damage to it as is, so he needed to find a moment where he could make the most of his strike.

He ducked under the giant stump of an arm that threatened to split him from waist down. He managed to avoid getting his head and the top half of his torso sawn off by ducking, but even then, it was a close call. He felt the metallic arm's backwind whip into him, and he was forced to the side due to the sheer force behind it.

Damn, never mind dividing him, that attack would have blown off his entire upper side and turned it into mush by sheer force alone.

He steadied himself, before he was forced to roll out of the way from an impending foot. Damn, dodging and weaving wasn't getting him anywhere.

He managed to avoid getting squashed, before he turned the momentum from rolling into a run. He circled around the mechanical dragon. Maybe there was something behind-

He heard a whoosh, before he turned around just to see a giant mechanical tail heading straight for him, ready to sweep him and probably crush his ribs in the process. He cursed, he wouldn't be fast enough to duck, to roll away, or do anything that might save him pain and broken bones. So instead of dodging, he raised both Kanshou and Bakuya to his chest in an intersecting manner, before he turned around and readied himself to block the tail.

The tail collided with Kanshou and Bakuya, and immediately, he gave way to it.

"Gah!" He managed to shout in alarm as the tail pushed both swords close to his body. He felt himself getting lifted, havin been literally swept off his feet. He soared through the air with the weight of a giant mechanical dragon's tail crashing onto him, and then he felt his head start swimming from the sudden lack of air.

Finally, he stopped feeling the weight on his chest, but that only meant that the tail had left. He was still flying, still soaring, and if he didn't correct himself soon, he'd land badly while rolling throu-

He didn't finish the thought as he felt his back impact on something solid, something hard. He felt the immense pressure from sudden stoppage as he slid down on what could only be a wall. As he landed on the ground, he coughed, and immediately spit out a glob of blood that had come up from his lungs. Damn, if that was any indication, his lungs were probably pierced, probably by a piece of bone, a rib that had separated maybe.

He took a second to rest, before he stood up on wobbly legs. He felt his head swimming, probably concussed, then he forced himself to remain still, before he felt his innate healing factor take charge of healing. Immediately, he found himself breathing more calmly, and he wasn't wobbling anymore. Good, the swords in his body had probably stitched over the open area in his lungs. But still, after all this was over, it would be amazing if he was still alive. Too much was getting repaired in too little time. He needed to end this before he keeled over and just die without being able to help.

He looked up, and saw Knightwalker still ducking and weaving around the Dorma Anim. He had at first, tried to get to her, but that proved difficult what with the giant mechanical dragon trying to squash him for every step he took. No, getting to her would come later. So far, the Dorma Anim didn't look like it had any sort of healing property, so its wounds would stay there until they were fixed manually. So he resolved to open up a wound that Knightwalker could use to try and shut down the Dorma Anim in one blow.

This is what fighting usually resolved to really. No talking in between fights, in between rests. A kill usually amounted to nothing more than exploiting a wound that the opponent suffered due to previous fights that he had been in.

He knew Knightwalker was smart, and he also knew that Knightwalker would no doubt understand what to do if he managed to get a shot in and open a wound. Heck, if it were even a complete stranger fighting beside him that would have also been the case. Yes, to fight an opponent, especially if the battlefield was large, one had to understand their surroundings and know where and when to strike.

The problem was the fact that he couldn't even create an opening. Couldn't even create some sort of wound that Knightwalker could exploit. The Dorma Anim was too swift in retaliation, too quick in its movements even for something as bulky as it was. This was no ordinary opponent, no ordinary dragon. This was a dragon knight, a being that was built to have the strength and raw power of a dragon, with all the flexibility and adaptive-ness of a human.

But...

He dismissed Kanshou and Bakuya. Letting both swords dissipate into motes of light as he closed his eyes and focused on his inner world. He needed two weapons, one for shooting, and one to be shot.

"Trace On." He muttered his aria as the hammer in his head fell down. Fifteen circuits flared, much more than usual, but it was to be expected. He wasn't Tracing a sword. He was Tracing a bow.

A black bow appeared in his hands, sleek and slender. The material that it was composed of was an alloy of both steel and tungsten. It was supposed to be Archer's bow, but he had no idea what it was made of, and hadn't had the time to properly Trace it in any of the three wars he had been in. So he did the next best thing, an alloy. After that, he did his best to recreate the shape and size of it, he needed to make this right, if he didn't, he risked vaporization through misfiring the arrow.

The bow was in his hand, and he took a second to look it over. After plucking the thin metallic string that would launch the arrow, he nodded his head. It would do. The make was solid and so was the image. All that was left was to just believe it to be strong enough to hold.

He closed his eyes again, this time, holding out his right hand. "Trace On."

Another hammer fell in his head as six Circuits flared. This time, he called something he was much more used to Tracing. A sword. Its blade twisted and spiraled and gave it an edge that could pierce things unlike any other. The blue handle was decorated with a few gold engravings, but the most eye catching detail to it was the fact that the handle's top portion was seemingly part of the blade of the sword itself.

Caladbolg II, the Fake Spiral Sword. An altered sword that was designed to be fired from a bow.

As he placed the sword into the bow, he thought of the reason why he hadn't done this from the get go. Simply put, he hadn't had the prana for it, not before, and not even now. Even discounting breaking the thing and just activating it, he would be left with barely enough prana to sustain four swords. He wasn't a Servant, and he wasn't contracted with a mage that could help him sustain the prana necessary. In fact, the only Noble Phantasms that he could use without getting winded or denting his reserves were Gae Bolg and Caliburn… maybe.

Regardless of his prana problems however, he hadn't the time to think of anything else. Caliburn would cause too much damage and it would spread too wide. The only reason they - he and Saber - had managed to kill Berserker was the fact that they had pierced through his skin and activated the thing inside the monster, killing him six times over. He hadn't a doubt in his mind that if he did the same here, he probably wouldn't manage to get close enough to do it again, and if he activated it before he pierced the dragon, he'd probably kill Knightwalker as well as destroy the observatory behind them.

So, Caladbolg it was. He focused and let the sword alter to properly fit the bow. He notched the bow, and immediately he felt the bow strain. Steel and tungsten weren't the most flexible materials, but they were flexible enough for this one shot. He didn't need to repeatedly fire arrow after arrow, all he needed was this one.

As he notched the bow, he looked towards the Dorma Anim. He saw Knightwalker deflect an armored paw that came towards her, before she rolled out of the way of the other. He was amazed she was properly fighting, what with the opponent being several stories taller than her. She had even managed to deflect a blow from it, just how strong was she?

He shook his head to clear away those thoughts. He needed to focus, he needed to look for an opening. Caladbolg had a habit of causing collateral damage from just passing by things, and he couldn't really fire with Knightwalker so close to the thing. The vortex that'd the sword would cause would suck her in as well. So he needed to look for an-

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" He blinked as he saw a jet of red hot fire fly at the Dorma Anim from his peripheral vision. Before he could even turn to look at who had attacked the thing's back, another shout came.

"Fly my swords!" Another voice, this time female. Swords flew from the same side where the stream of fire had come from. He watched as the swords entered the stream of fire, before they collided with the exposed back of the Dorma Anim, only to have the swords bounce from its metallic scales. Even the flames the licked its back didn't seem to affect it besides giving it a red glow.

Just… what the hell was that thing made of?

He turned towards the area where the attacks had come from, and saw Natsu and the other Erza rapidly approaching the Dorma Anim. They were both shouting an intelligible war cry as they charged the exposed back. Erza had on white armor that looked like it came from a mouth of a shark with all the sharp edges to it, while Natsu charged with flaming fists ready to pummel into the dragon's back.

He followed their movement, and winced as the Dorma Anim's tail swept towards them and hit Natsu. Erza had managed to evade the swipe, but the pink-haired man wasn't so lucky and had been hit the very same way he had been earlier.

The tail swept forward, bringing Natsu with it, before it launched the man with an abrupt flick. Yup, exactly like he had been subjected to.

Another shout, this time he turned to the left side. He saw Gajeel, followed closely by Gray. Both were shouting something in tandem, before he saw Gray shoot out his palm. A flash of light, and then Gray was suddenly holding a hammer made of ice.

He watched Gray swing it in an arc, intending to hit the dragon in the side. The blow connected and he felt the vibrations that came from the hit travel through the air. That was solid, that was strong, but like all the other strikes before, it barely scratched the surface of the mechanical dragon.

That was when he noticed Gajeel, he had jumped over Gray's shoulder and shouted something. He hadn't heard what he had shouted, but he did see Gajeel throw out his right hand, before a pillar made of iron stretched out from it and collided with the hammer of ice, adding some force to it, before the ice hammer shattered under the strain of having been hit with an object much stronger and denser than it.

The pillar flowed through the crushed hammer, before it collided in the same area where the hammer had just been. This time, a louder bang echoed as iron met the steel scales of the Dorma Anim. And this time, a noticeable dent appeared.

But even still, it wasn't enough. A mechanical paw swooped towards them in retaliation, and both Gray and Gajeel barely managed to dodge as the paw swooped over their heads, but even then it was a close call. Both men backed off as soon as the paw passed them, not intent on having to dodge another strike that would no doubt come if they stayed near it.

He let out a sigh as he relaxed himself. He stared at his bow and arrow, before he shook his head. There was no way he could fire this now, not with so much people around his target. But he couldn't really dismiss it either. By nature, he wasn't one to waste anything. Food, water, energy, anything really. So he'd have to be smart about this, he'd need another vantage point, somewhere he could fire the sword without hitting anyone other than the Dorma Anim.

So he'd wait, he'd look for an opening. He let out a breath, before he collapsed on the wall behind him. Okay, now that he got a bit of respite, he realized just how screwed up he was right now.

Breathing was hard, not to mention the fact that his swords were still holding his body together, grinding against each other as he moved. The sound was unpleasant, but not something he wasn't used to. In all honesty, he should be dead. But by sheer luck (he really should thank his lucky stars he was this lucky) most of his wounds hadn't hit any sort of vital spot. Arteries may have been ripped, his lungs may have been punctured, and his entire body ached as multiple broken bones littered it, but he could still move with the swords holding him up. And that would be enough. Really, the only time he'd ever stay down is if his body gets ripped in half, or if he's pierced in any sort of vital organ, like his heart or his brain.

He let loose a deep breath, before he steadied himself and pushed himself standing. Right, he had rested enough, now he had to find a good place to fire this bow.

"Sir Shirou!" He heard a familiar voice call his name. He looked towards his right, towards where the voice came from, and saw both Wendy and Ellen approaching him in a jog. Both women were accompanied by the two Exceeds Carla and Happy, who were both floating right above the women's heads.

He nodded towards them, but even this act caused him to wince and lean back into the wall. Damn it, he just nodded his head.

He saw Wendy begin running faster, with her hand at the ready, before he shook his head and held up his right hand to stop her. "No," His voice was half-demanding and half-asking. He didn't need to be healed, he couldn't be healed. Not with his body like this. The swords that was holding up his body were too intermingled with his organs, if he was healed right now, the renewed tissues would only heal over the swords. And that… that would be appalling to have.

"But!" Wendy had finally arrived by him and was about to argue, but he just shook his head at the girl.

"Not now." He managed to ground out. He then turned towards Ellen, who was giving him a slightly perturbed look. He nodded at her, before he asked a question. "You think you can lead me up this building?" He asked her as he pointed a thumb over his shoulder and towards the building whose wall he had landed on just a while ago.

Ellen was surprised at the sudden question, before she nodded her head. "Yeah, but don't you want to-"

He shook his head, already answering her question. "If I go in there now, with those guys." He gestured towards the fighting Fairy Tail members as well as Knightwalker. They were all weaving past and taking in potshots at the Dorma Anim, their agility making them a blur as they struck and pulled back before the Dorma Anim could retaliate. It was amazing really, nowhere near Servant level, not yet. But it was close. "I'd probably get in the way as I am now. I'll support them from the rear with this." He raised his left hand, and showed them the bow he had.

He also didn't like admitting that he would get in the way. But honestly, he really would. Saber had drilled it into his head that repeatedly jumping into dangerous situations would most likely get him and his allies killed without the proper planning. And though he was content enough to stay out of the main fighting, especially here since he wasn't the only one fighting for their beliefs, that didn't mean he would just sit idly by. He could help too.

Ellen regarded him for a second, before she nodded her head again. "Alright, follow- no wait." She stopped as she looked up. Her face brightened slightly, before she nodded her head, seemingly agreeing with whatever it was she was thinking. "I've got a better idea."

He regarded her with his own confused face, before he looked up at what Ellen was looking at, and saw just what she was staring at. He smirked, well, that was also one way to get up there.

"U-uhm," He turned towards Wendy, who fidgeted slightly in her place. "E-Erza and the others told me to tell you that you should know better than to underestimate Fairy Tail…" Wendy's voice seemed to lower as she continued that sentence. But he understood the basic gist of it. Those Fairy Tail members didn't seem like the type of people that would take a fight lying down. And not only that, they seemed like a stubborn lot.

He smiled a little. "I never did." His answer seemed to confuse the blue-haired girl. "I just wanted them to know that I would have fought, regardless if they were there or not."

Wendy seemed to understand what he was saying. She nodded her head at him, a bright smile on her face as she did so. Her smile slacked however, when she saw the weapon in his hands. "What are you going to do with that bow?"

He raised the bow, before he regarded Wendy with a serious eye. "I'm going to shoot a sword from it." He then raised his right hand, where Caladbolg was resting in his hands.

Wendy saw the sword, and immediately an uneasy look appeared on her face. "But swords don't seem to affect it. Erza's swords barely managed to scratch it with Natsu's fire." Wendy's voice was quivering, but the look on her face told him that she was merely stating what she saw. She wasn't admonishing his plan; she was just trying to reason with him.

Cute really, but this wasn't just any other sword. He had seen those swords that Erza had thrown at the Dorma Anim, and while some of them had magical properties that they could be counted as Mystic Codes in his world. Caladbolg was an entirely different thing altogether.

He placed Caladbolg down on the ground, before he raised his hand and ruffled Wendy's hair with his right hand. He couldn't help it, she reminded him so much of Illya. But with Wendy, it was just innocence with her, with Illya, she genuinely liked seeing you squirm as she pointed out the faults in your plans. Rin was most aggrieved when Illya had stayed for awhile in their home and the white-haired albino woman had criticized almost everything Rin did.

"Don't worry," He gave Wendy a small smile. He noticed her red face, but didn't pay it any mind. "This isn't just another sword. Just make sure you're far from the dragon when I fire okay?" He let go of Wendy's head before he picked up the sword. He then stood up and looked at both Exceeds floating up above their heads with their wings out.

"You think you can fly me high up?" He asked, to either Happy or Carla. Really, whoever was willing was enough. He didn't necessarily need it to be as high as the building that was behind them, but he did need to get to a higher vantage point.

"I'd rather not." Unsurprisingly, that answer came from the white furred one. From Carla. "I'd rather stay with Wendy down here. Someone has to look out for her." The words were sincere, and the Exceed genuinely looked like she wanted to look out for Wendy. So he didn't put up a fight.

"I'll go then," Happy floated forward. He gave the Exceed a nod, before he stepped forward. But before the Exceed grabbed onto him, a hand circled his wrist. He turned towards the owner, and saw Ellen looking straight at him with a grim look on her face.

"The king…" She spoke, her voice soft at first, but gradually, she seemed to gain strength. "The king used to be someone I looked up to. I vowed myself to. I never believed for a second that he could turn into someone like this." Ellen gestured towards the Dorma Anim, a deep frown etched onto her face. "So, I ask you. Please stop this madness. The king's intentions are good, his methods are the one that is evil." He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, 'Blame the sin' huh? Truth be told, he agreed. But an act that was evil that hurt people wasn't something he could stand. Another king had tried something like that before; believing his intentions pure and righteous, but the way he would do it was genocide. He knew that human's sought an end to things, that they were very dark creatures when in their most primal state. But… even though he accepted that fact, had used that fact to survive the Fire, had used that fact to justify leaving so many people behind. He believed that they were good as well. Inherently so even.

A contradiction, but what was he if not one himself?

So the king may look at his people with benevolence, and believe that his actions are pure, but in the end, he couldn't agree with it. He wouldn't agree with it. If that was the only way he could save his people, than he'd take the burden of looking for another way to do it for them, he wouldn't sacrifice one to save the many, not ever. If the world looked upon him as someone that was naïve and a dreamer, someone who was foolish for trying to save everyone, then so be it. But he wouldn't stop looking for a way, a way to save everyone.

He nodded his head at Ellen. Understanding her words, but not letting that stop him. "I've met people like him before." He said as he looked towards the Dorma Anim. He watched as the Fairy Tail wizards struck and smote the steel scales of the giant mechanical dragon. "And even though they are correct in their intentions, even righteous. That doesn't necessarily mean they are right." He smiled at his words. Not that long ago, he had said the same words to a man that threatened to destroy his 'self'.

He saw Ellen nod from his peripheral vision. Before he turned back towards Happy and nodded at the blue Exceed. He saw Happy fly behind him, before he felt the cat sink his paws into his shoulders and begin floating up with him. Surprisingly, the Exceed wasn't using his claws to latch onto him.

But before he could ponder on the strange way of carrying him, he heard Ellen tell him something else. "And Captain Sugarboy and Captain Hughes are still alive." Now that was alarming. He had honestly forgotten about them both. But he remembered Sugarboy being encased in ice. "I don't know about Captain Sugarboy since the last time I saw him, he was in ince, but Captain Hughes is most likely waiting for a chance to strike. The last I saw him was on the balcony with the king inside the observatory. He also had the Exceed queen as a hostage along with her servants." Hmm, so Hughes might just be lurking the shadows waiting to strike? That was troubling. No, wait, if anything, Hughes was an unknown force. It was Sugarboy who he had to worry about.

He nodded his head at Ellen in thanks for the warning. Before he suddenly felt his feet leave the ground. He looked behind him, and saw the blue Exceed carrying him with a look that could only be described as pure concentration on his face. Now he felt slightly guilty. He wasn't pushing the poor thing was he?

He let the thought simmer in his head for a second, before he pushed it aside. He'd apologize later, now though, he needed to look for the right opportunity to strike.

As Happy carried him above the battlefield to give him a better view, he realized just how much damage the fighting was causing.

Explosions rocketed the immediate area of the Dorma Anim, no doubt due to the fire that Natsu was spewing around. But though they looked destructive and ready to maim things, they were controlled. He knew this because every time an explosion would occur near one of Natsu's allies. He saw that for each explosion occurring, there was one particular explosion that didn't seem up to par with the others. Almost controlled even. His thoughts were confirmed when he saw Natsu throw a particularly large fireball from his hands, and it exploded near the Earthland Erza. The explosion was subdued, but not out of protection.

As the explosion rocked the Dorma Anim, making it slightly off kilter, Erza struck. Having approached the Dorma Anim while the explosion occurred. Her armor had changed, and she was now sporting something black with a heavy buster type sword. She had waited for the explosion to die, before she raised her sword and struck the buster sword at the spot where Natsu's fireball struck. Making the dragon backtrack slightly from the follow-up.

A distraction was what Natsu was doing. His explosions were there not just to try and maim the Dorma Anim, but it was also there to distract it and allow his allies to strike in the shadow of his own attacks.

On the other side of the dragon, both Gajeel and Gray had taken turns trying to create the most blunt force that they could to strike the dragon. At one point, he had seen Gray create a cannon made of ice, before said cannon had launched an icicle cannonball. He had no idea how he made that with the mechanisms working and without gunpowder, but it worked. The icicle cannonball having struck the Dorma Anim's backside and exploding into a thousand pieces, sending the mechanical dragon tumbling forward slightly.

Gajeel had taken that opportunity and raised both hands above his head. He shouted something he couldn't quite hear, before another hammer, similar to the previous one he had conjured, appeared. He watched as Gajeel seemed to shout, before he dropped the hammer down onto the Dorma Anim's bent form.

A shockwave flew past him from the sheer force of the hit. This shockwave had also disoriented Happy somewhat, as he felt the cat shift slightly, trying to properly get a grip onto his back.

"Whoa!" He heard Happy shout from behind him as they got higher into the air. "That was really strong!" For some reason, the blue Exceed seemed exceedingly happy about that.

He refocused on the fight. The attack patterns of the Fairy Tail mages could only be described as complimenting. When one struck, the other would follow. And while the Dorma Anim was trying its best to keep up with the Fairy Tail members, it couldn't quite meet the mark it was previously having with him and Knightwalker. Not because the Fairy Tail mages were more skilled then them. But because the Mages had something they didn't. Teamwork.

When one struck, they would immediately break away, before allowing their partner to strike in the same area. This caused the Dorma Anim to try and hit a target that had already left, and getting replaced by another one altogether. If he had to describe the attack patterns of the Fairy Tail members, he'd have to say they were like bees. Buzzing around and striking one after another to try and take down a much larger target. Not allowing the Dorma Anim to strike back as they engaged and disengaged in a dangerous game of tag the mechanical dragon.

But as he saw the Fairy Tail mages strike and weave, he also saw Knightwalker, who was circling around the dragon. Ascalon still in her hands as she searched for a place to strike.

"This is high enough Happy." He spoke up as he readied the bow. They were in a slanted viewpoint of the Dorma Anim's back. The dragon having restarted its attempts to try and strike down the mages that struck its metallic scales. Knightwalker was directly behind the Dorma Anim, looking ready to pounce as she waited for the chance to.

"Good! 'Cause I don't know if I can hold on much longer!" He heard Happy shout from behind his ear. But didn't pay it any mind. He notched Caladbolg into the bastardized Bow of Archer, before he went through the steps of Kyudo that he was so accustomed to.

But before he could even get to the first step, a rush of wind flew past both him and Happy, causing him to lose his concentration. But to his dismay, he wasn't the only one that lost their concentration. Happy had let go of him, and now he was freefalling. Again.

"Wahh!" He heard Happy shout as he heard the frantic flapping of wings. He lurched slightly as tiny paws clasped onto his foot and pulled him upwards. He looked up and saw Happy desperately clinging onto his foot, trying to pull him up as he flapped his wings hastily and frantically.

"I got you!" Happy shouted as pulled. But another gust of wind swept past him, and this time, Happy was sent tumbling away, letting him go in the process.

As he was freefalling, he looked up and towards where the gust of wind flew past them. There, he saw a rollercoaster. It was on the tail end of a turn, and he saw who was on top of it. A man with dark purple hair with a white trench coat, and even from here, he could see a manic grin on his face. Knight Captain Hughes. Ellen was right, he was in waiting.

"Wahh! Shirou!" He heard Happy shout. He turned slightly to the voice, and saw Happy frantically chasing after him. He sighed as he realized that the blue cat wouldn't make it. He was too far away, and now he was falling much to fast.

Fortunately for him, he felt another pair of paws clasp onto his back, before he felt a pair of wings flapping and sending him into a turn that turned him right-side up. He let out a small breath of relief; he wasn't in any condition to land with his current injuries.

He looked behind him, and saw white fur as well as a majestic pair of angel wings. He recognized the clothes, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought you wanted to stay with Wendy?" It wasn't accusing, but curious. She had said that she didn't want to carry him up, so why was she here now?

"Wendy asked me to come and help." Was Carla's hasty reply as she continued to float upwards. He smiled a little. That girl was too nice.

He then remembered something else. "Carla, you think you can fly as I fight?" It wasn't something he had planned on doing. But with Hughes on coming down on them, he had little choice on the matter. He then looked up, towards where he last saw Hughes and his rollercoaster, and decided he couldn't wait for a reply.

"On three let go of me." He hastily said as he readied the altered Caladbolg into his hand. He dismissed the bow in the other, simply because it would be useless at this range.

"Are you out of your min-" Carla began to say, but as they passed Happy, his mental countdown had finally finished.

"Three!" He shook off Carla, who at first, tried to cling on, but then her grip slackened and soon, he was flying upwards without a winged cat gripping onto his back, right towards Hughes and his rollercoaster.

He saw Hughes' grin grow, and for a second, he wondered if this was a good idea. But then logic got thrown out the window as he just let his instincts take over, he shot his right arm forward with Caladbolg gripped into his right hand, before he shouted. "Caladbolg!"

The air started to distort around him, and he could literally see the image of Hughes and the rollercoaster begin to spiral as Caladbolg was thrust forward. He then let go of the sword, allowing its power to surge into the weapon. The Fake Spiral Sword began to twist in the air, taking with it the space around it. It wasn't on the same scale if he shot it from the bow, but it was enough to cause a distortion in space and allow the air to twist into nothingness.

The sword spiraled away from him and towards Hughes. He watched as the sword hit the front of the rollercoaster, before it ripped straight through it like it was paper. The sword began to split the rollercoaster in half, the coaster having getting separated as the sword touched it. And for a second, he wondered if he could take Hughes by surprise like he did Byro.

But he knew his luck, and so he wasn't surprised when he saw Hughes jump away from the coaster before it reached him. But although Hughes had managed to dodge the brunt force of the Fake Spiral Sword, that didn't mean he was unscathed.

Even Medea, who had the near sorcerer level of magic that was teleportation, hadn't managed to completely avoid Caladbolg even as it just rushed past her. True, Medea was under attack by Archer, who had used his bow and his superior Tracing skills to launch it, but that didn't mean the Caladbolg he had now was just some cheap knockoff. It was still a Noble Phantasm with immense power, and even though he had used Carla' momentum and his own arm power to propel it forward, that didn't mean the effects were diminished. Space still warped as it continued its flight, and even the coaster that was split in half had suffered under the immense power of space bending, as evident to the multiple pieces that were getting sucked into the spiral of Caladbolg itself.

So Hughes, though wasn't subjected to Archer level Tracing skills and bow firing, had still suffered a broken leg. He had seen his leg brush against the invisible spiral of the Caladbolg, and almost cringed as he saw it start to twist into the invisible vortex. And for a second, he wondered if it would get ripped off by the sheer pressure. Fortunately for Hughes, he had managed to clear enough distance to actually make his jump worth something, and so had survived with just a broken and mangled leg that twisted in completely uncomfortable places.

He watched as Caladbolg soared through the air, before he felt himself become weightless for a second. He realized that he had reached the apex of his impromptu launch via Carla, and was soon going to plummet to the ground… again.

But before he did, he watched as Hughes fell past him. And for a split-second, their eyes met. Hughes was upside down to him, but he could detect the scant traces of craziness and a manic induced frenzy. As Hughes' eyes passed him by, he watched as Hughes' mouth opened before he said one word to him.

"Amazing."

And then Hughes soared past him. Leaving him suspended in the air as he waited for gravity to do its job and send him plummeting down alongside Hughes.

Fortunately for him, that didn't happen. As soon as he started to fall, he felt a pair of soft paws on his back before he felt himself get pulled upwards. He looked towards his back, only to see Carla as his savior.

He felt relieved. He didn't want to go landing on the cement again, not after last time.

He smiled at the cat. "Thanks." He said to Carla.

Carla only huffed, before she flew them towards the nearby building. Interestingly enough, the debris from the split coaster hadn't been much. Most of the coaster itself had been sucked into Caladbolg's spiral, and Caladbolg itself had skyrocketed past the cloud's already. Really, that sword was designed to be the most aerodynamically powerful arrow in Archer's arsenal. And if used right, it would have also blown past the atmosphere. That is, if the connection with Gaia wasn't severed that is. But that would also raise the question, how was he able to Project when he clearly wasn't on Gaia anymore?

Before he could ponder on that question some more, he had landed on the roof of the building where he initially asked Ellen to take him to. He felt the paws on his back detach, before Carla appeared in front of him, her arms crossed and giving him a look that could only be described as perplexed.

"What was that?" Carla asked him. He shrugged his shoulders in response.

"A Noble Phantasm." He began. "And something I should have used on the Dorma Anim instead of Hughes." He could Trace another one, yes. But doing so would put him on his last dregs of energy. Tracing one and activating it took a toll on him already, Tracing another one after that would be the equivalent of him breaking one. Still though, he couldn't say it was a bad call. Hughes was there and he threatened to actually hurt Wendy and Ellen below him. Hopefully, a broken leg and a fall from this height would prevent him from doing anything rash to either. Or kill him, whatever was best.

Carla fidgeted in the air, almost looking unsure of what to make of his explanation. "That was quite…" Carla paused, as if looking for the right words to say. "Powerful. I've never seen anything like that before."

Again he shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't surprised. "That was an altered version of the sword actually. It was meant for a bow." He further explained as he turned around and walked to the edge of the building. He then looked down, towards the ground, and frowned. He saw Wendy and Ellen. He could even see Happy making his way towards him and Carla. What – or rather who – he didn't see was Hughes.

That was troubling.

He shook his head. Unless Hughes possessed a magical item that could heal his leg or some magical property like his that could set broken bones, than most likely he'll be out of commission for the rest of this fight. So now he would be free to snipe out the Dorma Anim and look for the best chance to strike.

He frowned however, when he realized he would have to Trace another Caladbolg. The Tracing process itself wasn't the problem here. The problem was activating the Noble Phantasm itself. He wasn't Rin, he didn't have a nearly as much Prana as she did, and god knows how low his reserves are compared to Illya. Still, he had to continue. He didn't like people fighting a battle he was a part of and watching them get hurt.

So he closed his eyes again and focused. This time, there would be no distractions and he would hit the target.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

"This thing is tougher than it looks." He commented as Erza flew past him in her Flame Empress Armor. She had forgone using her Heaven's Wheel armor when it became apparent that even if her weapons were supported by his flames, it barely caused scratches on the hide of the mechanical dragon. So she had opted instead, to fly into his flames and strike while inside them. If he were any smarter, he would have said that was a suicidal and stupid way of attacking. But he wasn't, and so he didn't stop Erza from doing so. Besides, it's not like he'll hurt her or anything. Erza trusted him to not get her burned, so he should trust Erza's judgment to trust him. It was that simple.

Too bad simple didn't cut it here.

"Erza!" He shouted as he jumped and caught the red-haired knight after she was hit by a metal claw. It was a lucky hit, what with the mechanical dragon flailing around in an attempt to hit anyone in its vicinity. But still, that hit looked like it was solid, and Erza was sent sailing right above his head.

He landed in a roll, before he looked towards his teammate with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked as he put her down on her feet. Erza wobbled a little, before she shook her head.

"I'm fine." Erza said in between shakes of her head. "Just a little dizzy is all. I can still fight." She reassured him.

He nodded his head, not questioning her as he put his trust in her word, before he turned back to the flailing dragon. "Let's go then." He was about to jump towards the dragon to restart his attacks, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so. He turned towards Erza, whose hand had tightened around his shoulders and was now squeezing it. "Erza?"

He looked at his teammate in worry. Whatever it was she was thinking about, it didn't look good. "I don't think we can defeat this thing with just brute strength Natsu." Erza began, her eyes never leaving the mechanical dragon.

He was about to rebuke her, to tell her of course it will, but before he could, Erza shook her head at him. "No, listen to me Natsu." Her tone was serious as she turned towards him. Their eyes locked, and he could immediately tell that Erza was serious. "Whatever we're doing, it won't be enough. The armor on that thing is too strong, and I can feel the latent magic in the air starting to get thinner. Haven't you noticed it too?"

Actually, he hadn't. If Erza hadn't pointed it out, he'd probably not have noticed that the air really was getting thinner, or that the grassy area that they were on was steadily turning brown. But still…

"What do we do then?" If they couldn't beat it with brute force, what else could they do? His only inclination was to punch it to a pulp, as with most of his other plans. But if Erza said that they couldn't beat it like that, then they probably couldn't.

"We need to find a weak spot." Erza said. He saw her eyes turn away from him and towards the metal dragon behind him. "If we can find one, we can focus all our attacks onto it. Try and overpower it before it can do anything." It was a simple plan, and he liked simple plans.

"Alright!" He said as he grinned. He turned around and began looking over the dragon. He couldn't wait until they found one, so that he could beat the thing into a thousand pieces and dance over it as it burned. How dare that thing call itself a dragon! I mean, it was as strong as one, but still, nothing compared to the original!

He kept looking over the thing, his eyes scanning up and down and around it. He watched its tail as it swept towards Gray and Gajeel, only for the latter two to jump over it. He watched as its chest opened and released a few more missiles at the other Erza who was running around the perimeter of the thing. He watched as its dragon like head begin to whirl around, looking for targets. He watched the thing closely, and surely, and completely.

He frowned as he realized there wasn't any visible weak spot.

"Re-quip." He turned around as he heard Erza. He watched as Erza's armor turned into a golden armor, with a large jousting lance in her hands that was the same color as her armor. There was no symbols on the armor, nor any kind of decoration. It was simply a knight's armor with a golden jousting lance that was a full chest taller than both of them.

"You probably noticed it too." Erza began as she heaved the tall lance and put it on her shoulder. The shoulder plate and the lance making a metallic 'clink!' sound as they met each other. "But there doesn't seem to be any noticeable weak spot." He nodded his head at Erza, who then gave him a small smile. He realized just what she was implying, and he couldn't help but grin back at her.

"I'm all fired up!" He shouted as he felt his hands ignite. No weak spots yet meant only one thing, they had to make one. And the best way to do that was to keep hitting it with all they got.

"Natsu." He turned around, and saw Erza giving him a slight smirk. He watched as Erza shifted the lance in her hand so that it was close to her chest. He realized what it was she wanted him to do, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Throw me."

**XxX**

He wasn't exactly sure if what they were doing was actually giving them ground. But he liked doing it, and by the indents that both he and Gray created on the dragon's metallic armor – compared to that flaming idiot's and Knight's that is – he could tell that what they were doing was causing some kind of meager effect on the thing.

With that said though, it was only just that. Meager. Blunt force trauma on something that couldn't get dizzy, that didn't have any internal organs, that couldn't be stopped with internal bleeding. True, continuously doing this might cause some kind of damage inside the thing, but with the size of the indents that they caused, he guessed it would take a hell of a lot more than just a few to actually start doing something.

Still fun though.

"Iron Dragon's Hammer!" He shouted as he brought his hand up and immediately swung it down. Another hammer formed from his hands, and again it struck the thick metallic hide of the metallic dragon. But like the strikes before it, it immediately righted itself, before it came at him with a metallic paw, ready to bisect him with its claws.

"Ice Make: Cannon!" His partner for this battle shouted, a little ways to the right of him. The clawed paw was almost upon him, but a ball made of solid clear ice struck it before it could, sending the paw off trajectory and hitting the space just to the left of him.

He took advantage of the save, as he dismissed the hammer in his hands, before he swung his right hand to the side and swept it forward. "Iron Dragon's Buster Sword!" His right hand began morphing, and soon, a giant sword that was as large as his torso and probably a head higher than him formed around his right arm. The sword swung as his arm swung, and soon, it collided with the forepaw of the metal dragon, causing a slight gash to appear that was probably just a paper-cut to it.

He jumped back, not giving the dragon any time to actually recover and take a swat at him with its paw again.

He landed right beside Gray. He turned towards the ice mage before he nodded his head at him. That was all the thanks he was going to get.

"I'm getting drained." Ignoring his acknowledgement, Gray instead chose to let out a complaint. "Forming so much ice sculptures is taking a large hit in my reserves. I don't think I'll have enough to actually take this thing down."

"Quit complaining Princess." He half-barked/half-growled at the mage. "I'm fine. If I'm fine, you're fine." He wasn't even starting to get tired. What, did the ice princess skate around too much in his ice shoes?

"That's because you're a Dragon Slayer idiot." He turned towards Gray, who was giving him a slight scowl. "I don't like admitting it, but if you compare my endurance with that of Flame Brain, I'd be half-dead and panting by the time he even starts getting sweaty. I can't keep this up for too long anymore."

Well… he did have a point. Dragon Slayers had remarkably high endurance levels, and they could potentially keep fighting for days on end without rest. But still, how Gray be tired already?

"I've been using my magic ever since my fight with Sugarboy." Ah, right. He forgot about that. "I've barely had rest before I had to come in here and fight that thing. Not that I'm complaining, but damn it, I'm running on fumes as is." Gray explained.

Well, whatever. "Just keep on hit-" He was cutoff from his reply as he heard a loud and completely animalistic shout coming from the other side of the dragon. Both he and Gray turned towards it, and both saw something that left them gobsmacked.

It was Natsu that was shouting. But that wasn't what made them surprised. No, what surprised them was the fact that Natsu was twirling around while his hands were on Erza's ankles.

And then they both spoke, immediately telling all of them what they were about to do.

"Unison Raid!" They spoke together, Natsu still pulling on Erza's ankles as he spun around with the red head. He idly wondered what they would call such a move, but decided it was irrelevant. As long as it wasn't anything outrageous.

"Fire Dragon Knight's: Piercing lance!" Natsu finished as he let go of Erza's ankles, sending the red head flying straight towards the side of the metal dragon. He watched in morbid fascination as Erza seemed to ignite and turn into a fireball, a fireball with a lance ready to run through the Dorma Anim.

Erza impacted on the metallic scales of the dragon and immediately made it stagger, the sound of metal meeting metal as they clashed and pushed against each other echoed around the area. It only lasted for a handful of seconds however, before it was replaced by the sound of metal screeching as something gave way.

He watched as Erza plunged the lance in her hand deeper into the side of the Dorma Anim, her body steadily losing the fire that surrounded it a few seconds previous. He watched as Erza, seemingly satisfied with what she had done, let go of the lance that was now stabbed half-way into the Dorma Anim's upper right chest, before she made her way away from the still recovering dragon.

The Dorma Anim let loose a roar, but it wasn't animalistic, no, it was entirely human and had the voice of the king that was no doubt piloting it. **"Wretched woman! What did you do?!"**

Sparks began to fly from the wound that the lance was impaled upon, surrounding the lance and arcing towards the ground around it. He had to jump out of the way as a stray bolt of electricity threatened to hit him, no doubt due to his mostly metal body.

He whistled. "Damn, that would have hurt if it hit." He had once been the lightning rod for something similar, but he could literally feel the power coming off from those off-shoot electricity arcs. He landed a ways away from the metal dragon going haywire.

He knew what Erza and Natsu had done; they had created an opening, an exploit that everyone could use. And just by leaving that lance there, Erza had ensured that everyone knew what they could do to it. So it was obvious now what should be done, what they should be doing.

But before he could move, before Gray could do anything, and before Natsu and Erza recovered from their combined use of magic, a figure with red hair in a battle bikini alone with a slightly disheveled hair that was trying to keep itself in a ponytail appeared right beside the Dorma Anim. Her eyes were hard, and she was unafraid even as streaks of electricity swept by her lithe frame. In her hands, was a spear that felt so wrong to him, but so right to that person.

Knightwalker had taken the risk of getting close to the Dorma Anim, had taken the risk of getting hit with electricity that made even him cringe, had risked getting swatted away by the still reeling dragon. To exploit the one weakness that Erza and Natsu had opened.

A flash.

Knightwalker rammed the spear right next to Erza's lance. The electricity stopped, the dragon stopped reeling, and the very air itself seemed to freeze.

Knightwalker landed on the ground, on one knee as she panted heavily. He smirked, that last attack was anti-climactic to a fault, but at least now they won-?!

He couldn't even finish his thoughts as a sudden inexplicable force suddenly erupted from the still Dorma Anim. It blew Knightwalker away, and soon, he could feel his own feet leaving the ground. He cursed as he felt his body get lifted and thrown away by a sudden explosive shockwave.

But as he landed on his back, all breath taken away from him, he heard something low and menacing and angry. He heard the howl of a dragon, a dragon in rage.

**XxX**

"**You think you've won?"**

He swallowed a lump in his throat. He had managed to avoid the brunt of the shockwave by ducking under the railing and latching onto the side of the building, but still, he felt the shockwave rock not just the building, but the foundations of it. And when he looked back up, it was to be met with a sight that made him truly see what a dragon knight was.

"**You think you've bested me?"**

It stood high and mighty and half as tall as the building he was on. Its hind legs were backward jointed and looking something completely nonhuman at all. The previously gray metallic scales had been replaced by pure black metal ones that seemed to drain the very light that hit it.

"**I shall see a world of infinite magic for my kingdom."**

Wings as black as the night sky extended, shadowing the ground beneath it menacingly, threateningly. Pinions as sharp as knives and as hard as metal coated the wings, giving it an even more menacing and ominous look.

"**I shall not stand down. My reasons are just, even if my actions are not."**

The head… the head was entirely draconic. A stout, black as night that elicited smoke from its nostrils. Eyes that had a slitted irises looked down at the people below its mighty visage. And large pointed ears that reminded him so much of batwings seemed to hear everything.

"**I am willing to do evil, for the greater good. For the lives that I will save, for the families that will prosper, and for the people that will live. I shall kill for them."**

The maws of the beast opened, and a loud warbled roar escaped it. He cringed as he held his two hands to his ears to keep the sound away. This… whatever this is. It was neither human, nor dragon. It was a dragon knight.

"**Come Fairies."**

The king's voice escaped the maws as it finished its roar, just like before. He looked up, and knew without a doubt, that if he did not realize the Blade Works, they would lose.

"**Show me your strength."**

The dragon knight's maw opened once more. But instead of a warbled roar, the humming of power echoed from within it. He knew what was coming next, and apparently, so did Carla. He had almost forgotten that the Exceed was there until she latched onto his back and began to fly him upwards at insane speeds. He looked down, towards the newly evolved Dorma Anim, towards the open maw that power coalesced in. He looked at the people below, at the members of Fairy Tail as they scrambled to get away from the incoming blast, at Knightwalker, who was running off at full speed at a safe distance, at Wendy and Ellen, who were both considerably far from the Dorma Anim itself.

He watched as the Dorma Anim's maws closed, before it pointed them straight forward and reopened.

The wave of light was comparable to that of Excalibur. It tore through the building he had been standing on, before it proceeded to rip its way through castle building after castle building one after another, before it tore through the castle walls itself. He looked at where it was headed, and saw a small floating island, not large enough to be inhabited, but respectable enough that it looked as big as the entirety of the castle itself.

He watched in horror as the wave met the island. A flash of light blinded him for a second, before he looked back up and saw the incoming soundwave. The sound of an explosion ripped through the air that was soon followed by a shockwave. Carla seemed to be having trouble adjusting, but soon, she managed to right herself. He looked back at the island, and to his horror, saw nothing there.

That… that was insane! That wasn't normal! Whatever that was, it rivaled Excalibur!

There was no feasible way of fighting the Dorma Anim now without him utilizing the Blade Works to its fullest. Yet he couldn't do that, his body was too mangled, his reserves too low. If he tried to do that, he'd only kill himself from overexerting.

He looked back towards the Dorma Anim, a grim frown on his face. But did he have a choice? If he didn't stop that thing, it would kill a lot of people. If not intentionally, then certainly accidentally. No, he couldn't allow that thing to remain standing.

But even as he set himself to fighting it, of killing himself to just make it stop. A familiar voice sounded from behind him and Carla.

"Amazing isn't it?" He knew it was Hughes, the voice and way of speaking was the same. He knew he was behind them, a good distance away. He could feel Carla's paws gripping onto him harder, telling him that she didn't want them there now.

"Indeed, perhaps now is the best time to surrender." Another voice, Sugarboy's this time. Carla's grip tightened again. He let out a strained sigh. He felt Carla begin to turn around to face the two aggressors. There, a good fifty feet away from them, were Sugarboy and Hughes. Both on wooden horses that looked like they belonged to a carousel.

He wanted them to just leave so he can fight the Dorma Anim, but knew that they wouldn't. So instead of saying anything to them, he muttered his aria under his breath as he readied himself for the inevitable fight.

"Trace, on."

**XxX**

**Been awhile huh? Three weeks? Probably?**

**Sorry about that. Anyway. I've got a really good explanation that probably sounds like all other explanations. School, or college if you will.**

**I'm focusing on college right now because it's finals term. I'm not scared of failing any classes simply because I know I did really well on both prelims and midterms. But finals has a lot of projects and reports that I have to do. So I'm trying to focus on them first. (Reporting about anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders can be a bitch since there is a lot to cover. Yes. I am a psych major.)**

**Anyway, this fight will probably wrap up on the next chapter. And before people start sharpening their pitch forks and pulling out their torches. Let me remind you guys. Excalibur is anti-fortress. In Fairy Tail, there was the Jupiter cannon. Which was strong enough to destroy an entire island. Even if that entire island was composed of lacrima inside of it. The Dorma Anim is comparable to the Jupiter Cannon in the sense that it uses the magic, any kind of magic, to power their cannons. I'm not downplaying Excalibur in the slightest here. But I also want to make sure you guys don't downplay Fairy Tail either.**

**Anyway, this chapter… how do I feel about this? Hmm. Can't say I'm happy or sad about it. And I did take the liberty of doing something different at the end there with the king and the Dorma Anim. I took inspiration from CrimsonLord for that. And I am well aware of how weird and completely nonsensical the king is.**

**Anyway, I've got to ask this. Am I doing a decent job of this story? If not, how can I improve? Really, any ways you can help can go a long way. I know some people disagree with how I write, but I really want to know why they feel that way and ask how they think I can make my writing of this story or my other stories or any future projects better.**

**Anyway, I'm out for now. Still gotta finish my report. Woo! I hope I don't have a panic attack when I'm reporting up front in my class. I have a phobia of public speaking. I'm kidding, but still, I'm working my ass off for this report. I sure as hell hope I'm doing a good job at it. And why the hell am I telling you all this anyway? You probably don't care… probably. Would be awesome if you did though. But meh.**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**

**P.S: If at all I post this, and this post note is still here. That means I haven't proofread it due to lacking time to be able to. I'll get it done after I finish my report, but still, feel free to point out any grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Would help if I know what I'm looking for the next time around.**

**Edit: I've got an asshole anon reviewer that wanks off type-moon way too much that he thinks that a lot of things I've written are idiotic. He thinks Excalibur is the strongest weapon in the whole world and that I've nerfed Shirou. Really, I don't normally call people assholes, but this one takes the cake for wankery and idiocy. The jupiter cannon in the Fairy Tail verse managed to obliterate an island that had a giant magic sucking lacrima core. I repeat. It managed to destroy an island that was supposed to absorb magic. If the lacrima core wasn't there, everything within half a thousand mile radius would have been destroyed as well.**

**I can handle people disagreeing with what I've written. But asshats like this one anon reviewer that won't even logically take things objectively can grate on my nerves simple because they wank off one world and ignore the other. Excalibur is strong, I get that. But to wank it off like it was an armagedon type weapon is just stupid. Fairy Tail has armageddon type weapons, Lullaby and Fairy Law being some I can name off the top of my head. But Excalibur? I've had wankers, and I've had wankers, but this guy takes the cake for the most biased person I've ever met.**


	13. Dragon's Chorus

**Disclaimer: My ass is the only thing I own… well, also my whole body, but you get the point.**

**I am mad. Really fucking unbelievable mad.**

**My computer is shit, and it stopped on me. Had to reformat everything. And by everything, that meant all the chapters I've written for a Christmas present to my readers. That meant erasing this chapter, another chapter for the Gaming Magus, another one for Zero Night, and lastly, another one for Azure Blade Works. All of which had over 10'000 words in each chapter and wre done, well, save for this one. And to those that say I should have backed it up, you're right. But then again, there was absolutely **_**no**_** indication that my computer would just up and fail me… Again. Fuck. I should take the past as lessons.**

**But I'm not mad at you, no, I'm mad at… I don't know anymore. I feel resigned, yet at the same time, I just… Fuck.**

**I want a new computer, but unfortunately, one of the perks of being poor in a poor country makes it really fucking hard. I could get a part-time job, but that would probably affect my grades in my college courses. But at this point, I'm fucking desperate.**

**Anyway, all that aside, I'm doing everything from ground up again. So… Yuletide greetings to all, and I hope that I've made this as good as I originally intended to be. Not like you'll know what the original was, but meh. Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! Or happy Hanukah, or anything that you celebrate, or not celebrate.**

**XxX**

"What are you doing?!" He heard the sharp reprimanding voice of Carla as he detached himself once more from her to plunge down, towards Sugarboy who was on the flying wooden carousel horse.

He didn't pay any mind to Carla, and just chose to ready Kanshou in his right hand for a beheading strike as he approached the blonde knight. Ready to kill, ready to maim, to decapitate and end.

But in the end, Sugarboy lived up to his title as a knight in service to a king. Sugarboy detached himself from the carousel, opting to let himself fall as he approached the knight.

He wondered why he would purposely put his life on the line like that, and then realized that he wasn't putting it on the line at all. He watched in fascination as Sugarboy began doing something that could practically be counted as a lost magecraft. He started to fly.

No, that was wrong, he wasn't flying. He was merely floating, slowing his descent so that he wouldn't reach terminal velocity with his heavy armor and risk breaking every bone in his body. So if he was doing that, then wh-

He felt claws attach onto his back, digging into his skin and then pulling him upwards as quick as they could. It didn't come a second sooner, as the carousel that Sugarboy had been riding on had barreled through the air where he had been just moments ago.

"Stop doing reckless things! I do not have a limitless supply of magic energy!" Again, he heard Carla reprimand him. Normally, he would have felt abashed and taken aback at being called out for being reckless like that, but he hadn't the time nor was this the place.

"Dodge!" As if illustrating his point of needing to dodge, another wooden horse, this time, with Hughes riding on it, charged towards them. Carla managed to do a roll to avoid taking the brunt of the force, but because of the sheer proximity of both of them with Hughes as he charged, he had managed to get a glancing strike in with the sword he had been holding in his hand. Nicking his right thigh and drawing a moderate amount of blood.

He winced as Carla righted herself in the air, her breathing having escalated to pants after the maneuver she had just done. But even though she was still tired, she had still managed a question to him. "Are you alright?" She asked him.

He winced a little as he looked down at the gash on his leg, before he shook his head. "Yeah, for now." He said truthfully. And it was true, he was okay as long as his body kept on stitching together false flesh and arteries and veins that were made of metal, but after that, they would recede, and he would need medical help.

As Carla steadied herself, their opponents also took the time to catch their own break. Having flown until they were both side by side riding on their flying wooden horses. It was Hughes however, who spoke first.

"I had been hoping that would amazingly slice off your leg." At the mention of leg, his eyes wandered towards the still mangled and completely useless leg that was dangling down one side of the horse Hughes was in.

Seemingly seeing his eyes flicker towards it, Hughes let out a harsh, derogatory laugh. "It's useless now. Your amazing arrow managed to tear veins, arteries, and nerves. I won't be able to put weight on it again for the rest of my life." Hughes tone was getting darker and darker as he described the extent of his mangled leg. "And I shudder at just what would happen if your amazing arrow had managed more than a glancing blow and if it were fired with a bow."

He was sharp. But then again, it wasn't exactly a secret that he had adjusted Caladbolg to become an arrow. An arrow that he threw as if he was fencing as well. Severely limiting the spiraling force of the sword by at least one-thousand percent.

Needless to say, if he fired that from his bow, and had come that close to Hughes when he had jumped from his roller coaster before, he would be nothing more than a mangled corpse twisted in ways that a body should not be twisted in.

The dull in the battle alerted him of panting. But it wasn't coming from him; it was coming from the feline attached to his back that's claws were still digging into him. He raised his head so that he could take a look at the white cat, and what he saw was a picture perfect face of pure concentration.

"Are you alright?" That he had just broken, but it wasn't his fault. The words had slipped before he could rein them in.

Carla responded by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "More or less." She began. "But I'm feeling the constant strain with trying to keep my wings out while also compensating for your idiotic moves." Carla finished, her harsh voice sounding but not affecting him in the slightest.

"Sorry," He said sincerely. "Try and put me do-"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain erupted in his back. He realized that Carla had extracted more of her claws to dig into his back more. "Are you an even bigger idiot then I took into account for? Your leg is wounded, what good would you do against an enemy that can fly over your head and sweep towards you if you cannot even properly dodge?"

She was right, if he stepped down onto the ground, he would die. If not from Hughes and Sugarboy attacking him, then certainly from collateral damage coming from the metal dragon still rampaging and fighting Fairy Tail down there.

But he hadn't a choice, if this continued, Carla would die with him. And he'd rather die alone then drag someone else down to their death with him.

"Do not even think of it." Carla whispered harshly, seemingly sensing what he wanted to do, and that was to detach himself from her again. "We stay together. They will hunt you down, and by extension me. You've made yourself an enemy to them, and whether or not they believe that you're a part of Fairy Tail is a moot point. They've already made it known that they don't care about anyone other than themselves."

She was right. He couldn't deny that. Everything she pointed out was true to the point that it was ridiculous. Even if he left Carla and went to fight himself, they would keep hunting down Fairy Tail members.

So with that said, he knew that sticking with Carla was the best course of action. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

**A Magi's Tale**

**XxX**

**What's wrong?**

She had to dodge another strike, only this time, her dodge wasn't smooth, it was sloppy and it translated into a glancing blow that hit her leg, causing a gash to appear across both legs on both thighs. She grit her teeth and continued the motions of her dodging, putting as much distance as she could from the giant mechanical dragon's claw from herself.

**Where's the strength of Fairy Tail?**

"Gajeel!" She shouted in alarm as the tail swept the iron dragon slayer and dragged him with it. The long black tail flicked, and Gajeel was thrown through one of the castle's towers, sending the rest of the structure falling on top of him.

The black dragon seemed to have noticed its work, and a deafening roar escaped its maws as it turned towards the fallen structure. Its maw opened, and an eerie colorless glow began to shine inside it, the sheer power behind the gathering strength caused her blood to run cold.

**If this is what you offer me,**

She was already on her way in between the dragon and where Gajeel was. Her armor already changing, towards the only thing that could possibly tank an attack she knew the dragon would do. But she also knew she was too slow, too far away, and she cursed as the shining in its maw stopped and the damning sound of whirring told her that the attack would continue through.

**Then die**

"Screw you!" At the last possible second, a red blur appeared and gave a rough uppercut to the dragon's jaw, sending the head – and by extension, the mouth – upwards. The beam fired, and it tore through the air and shot like a bullet, clearing the clouds as it passed through them, before it exploded in a brilliant show of lights thousands of feet above them.

"No one messes with my friends!" She looked back towards Natsu, and found him still clinging onto the mechanical dragon's chest. Punching futilely with fire-empowered fists that disappeared as soon as they landed on the black carapace of the dragon knight.

**Bothersome insect**

In retaliation, an armored claw went up as if to swat Natsu away from its chest. Only, it was stopped, by a spear-wielding red-haired woman. Knightwalker held the claw in a deadlock for a few seconds, before she shouted and redirected it to the side, causing the dragon to spin from the sudden loss of the deadlock caused all the momentum to exit to the side of it.

"Go!" She heard Knightwalker shout towards Natsu, who immediately detached himself from the dragon knight's chest and landing himself a few meters away from it. Knightwalker followed suit, kicking against the dragon's chest before she did so.

She watched as Knightwalker landed a few paces away from Natsu, the dragon slayer giving a few words of praise to her fellow red head as she did so, and wondered just how they got here. How Knightwalker had changed from wanting to murder them, to now helping them fight against the one she has sworn an oath to.

It was, to put it mildly. Weird. For her, breaking an oath was something akin to sacrilege. She believed that once you promised something, you shouldn't go back on it. It was the reason why she didn't give out promises as easily as most others like Natsu. In fact, the last promise she gave anyone was to Natsu, and that had been in his arms after the Tower of Heaven.

So seeing someone that looked like her, that was as strong as her, and could probably be said to be her, breaking a promise she gave someone, was just strange. It felt like Knightwalker was the embodiment of everything she wasn't, and everything she didn't want to become. Yet at the same time, she couldn't find fault in that.

**Knightwalker!**

She snapped out of her thoughts as the pilot inside the dragon roared. The voice sounding more menacing than petulant then when the pilot had been outside talking himself.

The Dragon roared once more, and every piece of glass within the vicinity was shattered and turned into fine powder due to the sheer force of the roar itself. She had to cover her ears to protect her eardrums, and even then it still felt like something was shouting right by her ears.

A sudden swish, and she looked up in time to see Knightwalker getting swept by the mechanical dragon's tail. Sending her, and Natsu right next to her, flying just like Gajeel had.

She moved. It was fortunate that the tail dragged them towards her direction.

The tail flicked, and sent both Natsu and Knightwalker flying towards her direction. She jumped just as they were about to reach her, and caught both Knightwalker and Natsu's arms and dragged them with her jump.

They landed in a roll, a few paces closer to the Dorma Anim. She let go of both of them, and then proceeded to look over them both for any signs of outward injuries.

"Are you alright?" She asked, not to one, but to both. She roamed her eyes over both their bodies, and found nothing out of the ordinary aside from the nicks and scratches both had received on their bodies and clothes during all the fighting.

"I'm fine." Was Knightwalker's curt reply. Her Edolas counterpart proceeded to stand, staggering slightly, before she used the spear in her hand as a crutch to keep herself upright. She was not fine; she was injured in more ways than one.

"No you ain't." Natsu said from the ground. She looked at her fellow guildmate and wondered how he got to that conclusion with his eyes closed.

"You can't see her Natsu." She said dryly. Though a bit of amusement sparked within her at the Dragon Slayer's own conclusions.

Natsu let out a snort of his own, before he coughed; the sound a deep rasp as he coughed again and again. She was at his side in a second. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern evident in her voice as she stared at Natsu. He hadn't heard him cough since… she never heard him cough period. He had been hit by things before, but it had never caused him to lose his breath so much that he'll cough like a dead man would on his deathbed.

Natsu's eyes opened, and she could see that despite his obvious pain, he was still the same cocky Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail. But in those eyes, she could see a seriousness she saw every time Natsu knew when to be serious. "I know she's not okay, because I'm not okay." He coughed again.

Brash, not cocky. She corrected herself mentally as she looked over Natsu. She ripped open the shirt he was wearing to get a better look at where the Dorma Anim had hit. She winced a little at how red his chest was. And was a little surprised at his injuries.

He had been hit by that tail over and over, yet he showed no signs of getting worn down. No, wait, he was hit over and over. And no matter how strong a person is, if you hit the same spot again in a short period of time, you're bound to get that other person hurt.

"Damn it." She cursed under her breath as she looked around for Wendy.

"Don't put me on the same league as you." She heard Knightwalker say, but she was too enraptured with looking for their healer to say something in defense of her friend.

She heard Natsu wheeze out a laugh. She would have chastised him if not for her duty of trying to help him. "Stronger than you." His voice was hoarse, but she could still detect his amusement and brashness in his weakness.

"Natsu enough." She growled as she finally caught sight of Wendy. Fortunately, the blue-haired girl was already running towards them.

"Natsu!" Wendy shouted as she got close enough. She stopped just a few feet away from them, breathing heavily, but nonetheless dropping to her knees and moving towards Natsu's side. Her eyes immediately scanned the pink-haired dragon slayer, looking for any injury that had been dealt to Natsu.

"H-hey Wendy." Natsu coughed again, and she grimaced. She hadn't seen him this damaged… ever. It was odd seeing the normally unflappable Dragon Slayer getting injured and _not_ getting up.

"Oh geez." Wendy said, her voice holding apprehension and a little shock. She touched one part of Natsu's chest, and she saw Natsu wince. Wendy repeated the action until she had effectively touched all of Natsu's ribs. "You've got three broken ribs, one that's not even there."

Wendy held out her hand, and magical energy started to swirl around and envelop Natsu. She Natsu give a shuddering breath, before he relaxed. "Ah man," Natsu moved to scratch the back of his neck, but stopped as Wendy gave a glare to the Dragon Slayer. Natsu gave a nervous chuckle before he continued. "Kinda expected that really." She then noticed his eyes trail towards Knightwalker, or more specifically, the spear in Knightwalker's hands.

A thought popped into her head. She looked at Natsu, at where the general ribs were broken, and the red smear of something elongated that was evident on his chest. As if something had pressed against it.

"Why'd you jump in front of me?" Confirming her thoughts, Knightwalker questioned Natsu. Natsu for his part, only chuckled, before coughing again as one of his ribs apparently was put back into place.

"What's that old saying? "You scratch my bad, I scratch yours?"" She let out a snort of amusement. Even hurt like this, he was still cracking jokes.

"It's back Natsu." She corrected as she stood, her adamntium armor clacking against each other as she did so. She was winded, but she could continue.

"What's back?" Natsu said, his head whipping around despite his pain. "Is the Dorama Anus here?!" Somehow, she knew that would be the first thing Natsu would think of. But also, she didn't think he would pronounce it so horribly.

"Dorma Anim." She corrected again, her voice growing stern. "It would be wise not to call that thing something so… lewd next time in my presence. Or in Wendy's presence for that matter."

"Why don't you just shut up and let him think what he wants to think Scarlet." Knightwalker let out a laugh, probably at Natsu's mispronunciation than anything else. "And the kid's got to grow up sometimes. Besides, "anus" isn't even that bad a word. It's the scientific way of saying "asshole"." She felt her jaw hang at the… promiscuous way Knightwalker spoke. Had she no shame?!

"Erm, uhh." She was snapped out of her shock as Wendy spoke up. Wait, Wendy! She had – oh n– The last thing she wanted was for Wendy to be corrupted!

"You!" She heaved her giant stone-like sword and pointed it at Knightwalker. The knight captain for her part, only raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice taunting and more than a little snide.

"You will not corrupt Wendy you wench! You utterly uncouth barbarian! You-"

"Calm down Scarlet." Knightwalker interrupted her tirade as she smirked. "Don't get your knickers in a knot just 'cause you can't handle a little adult words. Shall I use 'kid' friendly ones for you?"

Of all the-

"Guys!" Wendy's shout stopped her from releasing her own curses, all of which were aimed at Knightwalker and her uncouth behavior.

Having noticed all eyes were turned on her, Wendy seemed to shrink in herself. She smiled at the girl's bashfulness. And silently swore to herself to keep her innocence safe. It was a sister's duty after all!

"Natsu's going to be fine." At Wendy's words, Natsu seemed to get reinvigorated as he jumped to his feet, letting out a holler. This had the effect of making him keel over and clutch his chest as he started to cough again. "Just don't let him strain himself…" Wendy's words came a bit too late.

She shook her head at Natsu's antics. "Will he be able to fight?" She turned her head towards Knightwalker, surprised at her interest in the injured Dragon Slayer.

Wendy frowned at the question, but nodded her head. "I wouldn't recommend it but…" Wendy's eyes darted towards the mechanical dragon rampaging. She saw Gray creating a shield of ice he then used to block a claw that was coming towards him. She then saw Gajeel, apparently having freed himself from the tons of rubble that had fallen on him a few moments ago, hitting the Dorma Anim's hide with pillars of iron made from his own hands. None of those pillars managed to dent any part of the Dorma Anim's hide.

She bit her lower lip in frustration. Natsu was in no shape to fight, that much was true. But she knew that if she tried to stop him, that he would just go behind her back and do it anyway. So she wouldn't speak, she could only act. She wouldn't chastise Natsu, but she could at least warn him from being reckless.

"Natsu." She turned towards the Dragon Slayer, who had managed to straighten himself into a sitting position, one hand clutched on his chest. Their eyes met, and before she could get another word out, Natsu nodded his head at her.

She felt a smile tug on her face. For all of Natsu's denseness and lack of general intelligence, he could be surprisingly perceptive when they needed him to. Or maybe they just understood each other much more deeply.

Well, it didn't matter. What did matter was Natsu understanding what she wanted him to know.

"If you two are done flirting." Her eyes turned towards her Edolas counterpart, who started walking forward, towards the Dorma Anim. "We've got a Dragon to slay."

She felt a bit of blood rush to her face. They weren't flirting! But before she could retort or say anything, Natsu moved and stood up. "I don't know what this 'flirting' is, and to be honest, it doesn't sound all that appetizing." Natsu walked forward until he was side by side with Knightwalker. His fists then ignited, showing off the brilliant orange flame she was so accustomed to already. "But you're right. We can't just sit here and let others do the work. 'Sides, I'll be damned if Gray manages to slay a dragon before I do!"

She shook her head, both in amusement and exasperation. Again, she remembered that Natsu was really simpleminded. She looked towards Wendy, who was staring at both Knightwalker's and Natsu's back. "Wendy." She called out.

The blue-haired girl turned towards her, her eyes filled with wonder and awe at seeing something that she probably wasn't used to seeing yet. "Take care of the others." She then reached out and ruffled the girl's hair before she too stood up and walked over towards Knightwalker and Natsu.

It hit her then. Wendy's eyes were filled with wonder and awe, because this was probably the first time she was seeing Fairy Tail fighting something that would have been impossible to defeat. Nirvana hadn't counted simply because they were fighting humans, wizards like anyone else.

The Dorma Anim was no wizard, it was an embodiment of a dragon made by human hands. It had all the strength of a dragon, forged by the mind of man. It was something that should have been impossible to defeat, impossible to overcome, impossible to move.

But with Fairy Tail, it was possible. They had stopped unstoppable forces before, they had moved immovable objects. They did the impossible. Not by themselves, but with Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail's power didn't come from any one person individually, they came from everyone that was Fairy Tail.

And this was what Wendy was probably seeing now. Fairy Tail fighting. She probably already knew who would win as well.

"Ready?" She asked as she got into a stance. Her stone-like sword clutched to her side in a fencer's stance.

Natsu's grin looked like a smirk. But she knew it for what it was. He was excited. And to be completely honest with herself, she was too.

It was Knightwalker who answered her question. "Been ready since ten seconds ago." Was all her counterpart said before she charged forward.

Knightwalker was followed by Natsu, a roar escaping his lips as he charged in a literal blaze. Orange fire coating his body as he charged forward into battle.

Soon enough, she followed as well, with her own shout to accompany her own charge.

**XxX**

"My prince." He awoke with a start. He felt a rush of breath leave his lungs and exit through his mouth, and before long, he was taking long winded sighs.

He looked up, and saw a face with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't make out who it was as he was too busy readjusting himself.

He still felt sore all over.

Shaking his head, he pushed his hand on the ground, idly noting that he was propped up to a wall. Internally, he checked himself. His hands began to go over everything he thought would be the first thing broken. Ribs were intact, shoulders he could still move, legs were responding. He didn't seem to have any injuries aside from the headache he was experiencing. Maybe he was concussed?

"Prince Jellal." He looked up again, at the person in front of him. He then noticed that the person was wearing a typical Edolas army knight's uniform. He would have made to move, but his headache wasn't doing him favors. So he kept still and tried to figure out why he wasn't killed yet, and why that person seemed to familiar.

The man in front of him sighed before he stood up and shook his head. The man then turned his head until he was looking behind him, and shook it. Was someone else here?

"Looks like he's out of it." The man in front of him said, turning his body. This allowed him to look towards who the person was talking to, and saw a head full of blonde hair with a rather skimpy outfit sitting right across from him, by another wall.

She looked… Lucy!

Memories came surging back, and his headache increased a hundred fold. He couldn't stop himself from giving a strangled cry as he remembered.

But through the pain, there was a singular thought that was in his head.

Yup, he had definitely been concussed.

"Jellal!" The knight was at his side in an instant. Kneeling down next to him as an armored hand held his shoulder and back. "Are you okay?"

He looked up, his headache easing a bit, and nodded his head at the knight – the knight that had been with Emiya for the majority of the discussions with the king.

"I'm fine," He reassured the knight. He had to get his name. "My head was hit and I suddenly remembered a lot of things. I've been through worse."

"You look like you've been through worse." Lucy spoke. He looked up towards he blonde, who had a smirk on her face, before she gestured with her chin at his body. He followed it, and saw that his clothes were ragged and had holes in places all over his chest and arms. Even his cloak was in tatters, in fact, it was only half there. The other half was apparently burned off judging from the scorch marks on the edges of it.

Another memory, and he looked to his sides. He let out a relieved sigh to see his staves, all grouped up and propped on the wall a few feet away from him.

"They were reacting to you." He looked towards the knight, who had apparently seen is relief when he saw his staves. "I had to get them away from you because I was nervous that if I touched you, they would set off and burn the area."

_And then some_. He finished in his mind. But the knight didn't need to know that.

A roar sounded, a terrifying roar that he knew only belonged to one thing. "What's happening?" He asked, though his mind was still addled with a few memories, he pushed through. He needed to.

Edward started walking towards the end of the wall he was leaning on, before he leaned out from the corner, apparently taking in the mayhem that was happening just behind it. After a few seconds, Edward walked back towards him with a grim look on his face.

"The Dorma Anim is giving the Fairy Tail members a run for their money." Edward then shook his head, sighing all the while. "It's gotten progressively worse now that it's changed forms."

He cursed. On the plus side, that meant that they managed to damage it enough that his father had to resort to its overdrive. On the negative side, that meant it was _on_ overdrive.

He knew that the Dorma Anim wouldn't last long now. Going into the second mode triggers the safety for its magical core. Meaning that for every second it was moving, it was consuming energy at a blistering rate.

Yet at the same time, he knew it wouldn't run out. The Dorma Anim literally sucked the magic from the air, ground and water. It could run indefinitely as long as there was magic in its vicinity. And with the Fairy Tail members surrounding it; that meant it would last as long as they lasted. And he very much doubted that his father would just let them leave to recuperate.

"Damn." He couldn't stop himself from cursing again, this one escaping his lips. He withheld himself however, from letting loose a more vulgar way of expressing his anger.

"Mystogan." He looked up, towards Lucy, who was giving him a look of determination. "Is there anyway to beat it?"

No, there wasn't. There was no set weakness about it, nor was there any sort of weak spot. He idly wondered how they managed to push his father so far, but decided that it was simply Fairy Tail.

"Well, guess that's it." He looked up, surprised at Lucy's words. They sounded final, like she had – He watched as she suddenly began to stand up, using her back as a crutch against the wall as she did so. "I'm gonna have to go out there and start fighting too."

He blinked, before he realized that he was wrong. Hopelessly wrong. Lucy was a part of Fairy Tail, that meant that she had everything any Fairy Tail member had. She wouldn't give up, no matter what. That was the Fairy Tail way. They fought and fought and fought, until either they couldn't anymore, or their opponents couldn't. When an unstoppable force was thrown their way, they stopped it, when an immovable object blocked their path; they pushed it and moved on.

That was Fairy Tail; that was the guild he had grown up in and learned to love.

He snapped out his thoughts as a hand appeared in front of his face. He looked towards the owner, and saw Lucy giving him a bright smile, a look of determination and confidence in her eyes. "You're coming too right?"

He felt a smirk appear on his face. He reached upwards and grasped Lucy's hand, letting the blonde pull him up. His body may have felt like it was straining under its own weight, but he didn't care. She was right. They were right. Fairy Tail was right.

They couldn't give here, if they did. Countless lives will be lost. Lives that mattered, lives that counted.

That was why he wasn't going to fight. "You go ahead." He said to Lucy. Who in turn gave him a confused look. He just waved his hand at her, before he went over to his stack of staves. "I'm gonna start channeling a spell that'll hopefully take down my father." A true blue lie, and if Lucy saw his face right then and there, she would have called him out on it.

He heard her shrug. "I'll see you out there then." She began to walk, but then stopped. "You're going to help us right?"

She was apparently talking to the knight. He was trying to apparently look over his staves. "Of course I will." He heard the knight say. He heard Lucy hum in understanding, before her footsteps were heard again, this time, sounding like she was in a jog.

Noting that Lucy was gone. He picked up his staves and turned towards the knight that had looked over him while he was knocked out. He gave him a grim smile, but before he could say anything, Edward spoke. "You're not going out there."

He held his surprise, before he nodded his head. "I still have one more job before everything is finished. I'd rather get it done now."

Edward gave him a reprimanding look. It was almost comical to him how a knight in the army was looking like he wanted to scold him. "And leave your friends to die?"

He laughed. He didn't mean to. But the laugh escaped his lips before he could control it. The very idea… "You honestly believe I believe that they will lose?" He asked, having regained control of his laughter.

Edward gave him another confused look, before he sighed and shook his head. "You're as stubborn as Emiya."

He didn't know if that was a good thing, but for now, he would take it as a compliment. "Thank you." He then turned and started to run down the hall. Hopefully, Fairy Tail's guildhall wasn't too far from here.

"Where are you going?" He heard Edward shout from behind him.

"To find our fairy tale." To find his happy ending, he was going to make everyone else's.

**XxX**

This was getting ridiculous.

He thought to himself as he sliced apart another wooden pony that had come from the same flying carousel ride that had been on their tail for some time. Hell, he was pretty sure that it couldn't have that many horses. He had lost count at 43.

He bucked a little as Carla banked left. He caught sight of something going past them, but it had gone by too fast to make him think of it. So instead, he faced forward, allowing Carla to bob and weave through each approaching carnival ride.

He redacted the idea that Sugarboy was his worst enemy here. Hughes' control over a whole carnival that flew and went after them like heat-seeking missiles was nigh impossible for him to counter. What good was a sword rain if his opponent could just power his way through it?

He lurched again as Carla banked. The blood rushing up towards his head almost made him queasy, but he managed to push down his queasiness in time to slice apart another horse. No wait, this one was a unicorn. It had a horn on its head. Not that it mattered, but apparently it was going to skewer him.

"Try and get in the clouds!" He shouted towards Carla. He felt her grip tighten behind him, almost as if she was apprehensive about what he had said.

"If I do that we won't be able to see anything." He heard Carla reason from behind him. And honestly, he knew that too. But right now, they couldn't keep bobbing and weaving through these things, it was pathetic. Not because they weren't fighting back, but because they were fighting a losing battle. Their enemies weren't getting tired, allowing Hughes to keep sending wave after wave of carnival rides at them without stopping. While they had to expend energy to try and survive.

"I know!" He grunted out as he cut through another ride, this one being a wooden log. "Just try and get inside one large enough so we can hide along with the rides. If we can't see them, they can't see us." It was a foolhardy plan, something that only he could think of. But right now, they couldn't afford anything more. Hopefully, the rides would hit each other while inside as well.

"Alright." He heard Carla speak up from behind him. He readied Kanshou in his left hand to slice through another ride, but he didn't get to the chance to as Carla suddenly swooped downwards. "Hold on!"

He felt his grip on Kanshou tighten as Carla dove, reaching speeds that went past terminal velocity. She began to pull up, and he watched as they rapidly approached a cloud. He closed his eyes as they impacted on it. Drenching both of them in water.

Carla began to slow, and soon he heard her let out a deep breath. "Hopefully, this will hinder them somewhat." She spoke slowly. As if digesting her words. Finally, she let out another sigh. "I never thought I would hear those words come from my own mouth."

"Somewhat?" He asked, not sure what she was talking about. He felt her shake her head behind him.

"No, hopefully." He raised an eyebrow, but realized how stupid that was since she couldn't see him. In fact, he couldn't even see two feet in front of them. It was also very dark here, suggesting that either the cloud Carla had chosen was really thick, or really big. Either way, this would definitely stop Hughes from doing anything rash.

"I can't keep this up for too long." He tried to look over his shoulder, but all he could see was Carla's wings on his back. He the opted to just listen to her. He heard her breathing, slowly and raggedly, like she had just run a marathon.

He wondered what he could do, and offered the first thing that popped into his head. "I could try and shoot my arrow again." He thought idly, but shook his head as he realized that was stupid. "No, never mind. That would be suicidal. I'd only have one shot to use it, and doing so would drain me too much." One Caladbolg was enough to drain him to the point where he needed to conserve prana by Tracing Kanshou and Bakuya one at a time. If he Traced two, then no doubt he would be down and out before he could confirm that it hit.

"We've got to stop both of them." Carla said. He agreed. Stopping both Hughes and Sugarboy would be the best course of action. The problem was, he needed to get- wait, no he didn't.

Pulling on the last dregs of his prana reserve, he recalled the bow. Sleek and black. It was in his hands in the next second.

"Try and give me a clear shot." He said softly, Tracing a sword. He Altered its makeup in his hands, and soon, it turned into a sleek silver arrow-like tool.

"How many of those things can you still fire?" Carla asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly I have no idea." He frowned as he felt the image of the sword appear in his head again. He didn't need to Trace another one yet, but having it in his head would help. "I'm guessing I have 3 or 4 more to make before I go over my limit."

"Limit as in no more, or limit as in your body just can't?" Carla asked, and for a second, he was confused. That is, until he understood what she was talking about.

"The first one." He could go over his limit. He had done so multiple times already. The second one that Carla spoke of hadn't happened to him yet, and for that reason, he didn't know what would happen if he did hit that limit.

He felt Carla's claws on his back tighten, and he braced himself for what she was about to do. "Don't miss."

Carla shot up, shooting upwards as they passed through the cloud. Drenching them in cold water. He ignored it and focused, clearing his mind. He felt the water stop rushing, and it got brighter. He realized that they were out the clouds.

He felt Carla immediately dodge, moving to the left. Probably avoiding something that would crash into them. He didn't pay much attention. He was too focused, too busy looking for his targets. He wouldn't let himself miss a chance to take a shot, to try and end this as quickly and as cleanly as possible.

His eyes scanned the air, ignoring the mass of metal and wooden rides coming at them. He only needed to find what he needed. He needed to- There!

In hindsight, wearing bright pink armor wasn't really subtle. Then again, what did he know about subtlety?

He breathed in, and pulled. He focused, making sure both eyes were open. He adjusted his shot, moving his aim to the left slightly to adjust for the wind around them. He exhaled, and let loose the arrow.

With a twang! The arrow shot off, fast and furious as it soared past ride after ride to reach the target. He cursed as he realized he had overcompensated. It wouldn't hit the area where he had aimed. But it would still hit.

He watched as the arrow imbedded itself onto Sugarboy's shoulder. The pink-armored man cried in pain as the arrow more than likely split a tendon if not hitting the pivot socket and dislodging his arm at all.

He Traced another sword and altered it. He took aim again, and fired another shot. Now that he knew where he was targeting and how much he needed to compensate, he could hit the target.

The arrow flew, and just like he figured, it soared for Sugarboy's head. Ready to impale the man as he struggled to free the arrow that was still lodged into his shoulder.

Something flew upwards and blocked the arrow from reaching Sugarboy. He blinked, before he realized that it was a carousel ride. Cursing underneath his breath, he realized that just firing at Sugarboy wouldn't do any good with the number of moving cover that was around them.

Damn it, this was getting harder and harder.

"Did you hit him?" He heard Carla ask from behind him. He clucked his tongue before he Traced another sword and swung it to cleave a ride that was threatening to hit them, splitting it in half.

"I did." He answered as he Altered the sword into an arrow. He took aim again, but cursed his luck as his view of Sugarboy was now blocked. He dropped the bow and the arrow to his side. " But I didn't manage to kill him."

Again, he felt Carla's claws tighten behind him. "Do you need to kill them?" She asked.

He was surprised by the question, but otherwise, shrugged his shoulders. "No I don't." He answered honestly. "But it's the quickest and simplest way to stop all this." He lurched again as Carla banked, narrowly avoiding another rollercoaster and its multiple cars lined up.

He heard Carla let out a deep breath. He wondered if that was because she was tired, or because she was exasperated. "I don't suppose you have anything that can poison them do you?" A valid question, and had he enough prana, he would have used something like that.

As it stood though, he lacked the necessary prana capacity to Trace the sword, _and _the poisons that came with those swords. Of course, he could Trace a sword that already had the poisoning effect with it, but that would require him looking through Unlimited Blade Works, and time wasn't something they had.

He readied himself again, taking aim towards where Sugarboy had been. He saw a clear shot, and was about to take it, before the momentum around him and Carla started shifting.

"Not now!" He looked up, towards Carla. And he saw _nothing_. No flapping white wings. He could still feel Carla attached to his back, but now that she had nothing to help them fly, that meant all their movement was going to shift towards one direction. Down.

He cursed as he refocused, he could at least take this shot-!

He fired and it soared, but like the previous arrow, it had been blocked by another ride. He didn't bother figuring out which, as it was too late to Trace another and fire. They were falling now.

He shifted his head until he was looking downwards. They were near clouds, and would reach terminal velocity in a few more seconds. If they landed, he didn't think he could take it.

Turns out however, he didn't need to worry about going splat. As a rollercoaster was rapidly approaching them from below, ready to stop their decent with its own rising. He doubted his body could physically take having a bigger and faster mass splat against him and turn his kinetic energy backwards. In fact, he realized that his limbs would most likely detach from his body because of that.

"I'm out of energy!" He heard Carla shout from behind him, her panicked voice spiking higher than normally. It surprised him that he thought it didn't suit her.

"Trace On!" He shouted as he held out his left hand. The sword's image appeared in his head, and he put all his effort into building it as quick as he could. The tip spiraled until it showed a drill like blade, thicker and bulkier, and the handle to it seemed to bury itself under the blade, no longer attached to it like his own Altered version.

This was Caladbolg like it was meant to be. As a sword.

"Hold on!" He shouted as he put he made himself as small as possible. He felt Caladbolg begin to spin, but not from his own work. It came from the winds around them, making the unique blade rotate until it started to elicit a slight hum.

The blade collided with the coaster and it immediately parted from the tip. He felt the immense strain on his arms, but kept his hold steady on the blade. It wouldn't do good for them if he let go.

Car after car, the coaster split. Caladbolg doing its work as it split the carnival ride into two. It lasted longer than he wanted it to, but as the last car was split, he felt the pressure in his arm release. He let the large blade in his hand dissipate, before he let out a deep breath. That was close.

"I don't suppose you have anything else to help our fall?!" He heard Carla shout, and he immediately remembered that even with the coaster gone, they still had the problem of falling to their deaths. And unfortunately for them, he had nothing except the bow in his hands to try anything. Not even a sword with a chain could help them. If he did so, he would only accomplish detaching his arm from his torso.

He shook Carla off him, before he turned and gripped the cat into a hug as close to his body as he could. "What are you-?!" He heard Carla shout, but he kept his grip on her as tight as he could. He could at least save her right?

He heard something rush past them, the flapping of winds like Carla's. He opened his eyes, and turned his head to look at what he had heard. And saw the sight of Pantherlilly flying just a few feet ahead of them.

He watched as Pantherlilly turn his body, before he slowed, matching their speed with his own and finally, caught them both in his arms. He looked up at Lilly, and saw his wings outstretch, slowing their decent as much as he could. Finally, all their momentum dissipated, and Lilly began to hover. He looked behind him, and realized at how close they were to the ground. They were already as high as the towers around the castle.

"Are you alright?" Lilly asked, looking down at them with concern. He let his body relax, throwing his arms to the side as he let out a breath of relief. He had honestly thought he was going to die there. And as odd as it was that he was so calm about it, he realized that was just who he was. Huh, guess Rin was right about him, he really lacked a sense of self.

Carla stood on his chest, and he looked down towards her. There he saw her, hands (paws?) on her hips as she glared at him. "What were you thinking?" She asked, her voice calm and dangerous.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Trying to save you." He answered dryly. He didn't need another one of these lectures. Can't people just take the help without getting mad at him? Sheesh.

He heard Carla snort. An undignified sound that contrasted with her own haughty sounding voice. "If I wanted to do that, I would have detached myself from you. Cats have a habit of surviving tall drops." She explained to him. He just stared at her blankly.

"But regardless," Carla began. "I told you that we would stick together and fight. And if that meant dying together, then so be it. I would not properly leave an ally to their death, no matter how stupid they may seem to be." Oh geez, her tongue was as sharp as Rin's, not to mention the fact that she acted just like her.

He smiled at Carla, before he nodded his head. "Thanks." He said truthfully. It was nice to know that someone had his back like that.

"I see that save for your magical energy; your biting sarcasm is still very much in tact." He turned his head as a new voice spoke. There, right behind Pantherlilly was another cat, as white and much more regal looking than Carla. A crown adorned the top of her head, and its white dress clashed with the almost green background that was the sky.

"Queen Shagotte." He heard Carla reply to the voice. He turned back towards her, and saw that Carla's eyes had narrowed as she stared at the queen of Extalia. "Are you here to take advantage of the chaos and enslave the people of Edolas?" Carla accused, her voice harsh as she stared up at the queen. He wondered if everyone in this world had a habit of using other people to make their ends meet, before he realized just how damning Carla's words were.

"I had honestly contemplated doing so." He turned a hard look at Shagotte. He was surprised she would admit that, he had guessed she would veil her interests under the guise of wanting help like the King had. He cast a hard look towards the queen, but due to his peculiar position, he guessed she hadn't seen it.

Shagotte then shook her head. "But I've learned that doing so would cause more grief than anything." She paused, allowing her words to sink in for a moment, before she spoke again. "I've decided that for Edolas to prosper, working together would be the best way to go about doing it."

He agreed with that. Then again, as long as people were saved and people were happy, he guessed he would agree with just about anything. Take the King for example. Not that it lasted too long.

He heard Carla snort from his chest, a bit out of character for her, but he could tell that Shagotte got under her nerves for whatever reason. "I take it you were needed to be convinced by someone else?" Carla accused.

"Does it matter?" He blurted out without stopping himself. Carla turned towards him, before she gave him a raised eyebrow in both incredulity and exasperation.

"Did you honestly just ask that?" Carla asked, sarcasm dripping through her voice. He actually felt himself pout at her. Honestly, that was just rude of her. It didn't really matter if they thought about it, as long as she didn't think enslavement was the better option, then it was good enough for him. Then again he was a bit too willing to look into the good side of people. Something that Rin, and now Carla, found exasperating.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked, almost defensively. His tone sounding like a child would when they were trying to make people see things their way. It didn't really help him any, but still… it just didn't matter!

Great, now he was thinking like a child as well.

Carla let out a sigh as she shook her head. She then turned back towards Shagotte and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Pantherlilly spoke up. "I agree." He looked up at the large panther-like Exceed. "What's wrong with that?"

Carla looked ready to retort, but Lilly shifted his hold on his body and spoke up. "To question why she would choose this path is an insult. She chose to save as many lives as possible, that is all there is to it." It irked him a little he was being carried like a princess and that Lilly was sounding like a knight, but it beat the alternative of being let go and falling.

He heard Carla sigh again, before she looked up at Lilly. "It matters because if she doesn't truly believe this path, then it is liable that she turn into another Faust." Her eyes than narrowed, before she looked straight into Lilly, and then to his own. "And you talk as if you would blindly accept anything as long as people were saved. Look where that had gotten both of you."

Alright, that was just plain mean and low. "I'm not exactly a subterfuge kind of guy." He admitted as he locked eyes with Carla. "And I just don't care if I'm used. As long as I'm doing what I think is right, why should I feel guilty?" It was childish and immature to think like this. Then again, his dream _was_ childish and immature.

It looked like Carla was about to retort, but Shagotte's voice cut her off. "Regardless of why I chose this path. It looks like you both need help." He then remembered what was happening, and refocused his eyes above. He wondered why they hadn't been attacked while they were talking, until he saw what looked like an army of cats wielding weapons and donning armor charging and attacking the carnival rides.

Huh, guess that the previous army of Exceed-turned-crystal hadn't been the entire army. He wondered just how many cats there were in Extalia itself.

And then his eyes focused, and he realized that those cats weren't army cats. In fact, they looked like regular people. Their 'weapons' were pitchforks and clubs, and their 'armor' were clothes and light leather.

"Those aren't soldiers." He heard Carla say. Apparently, she had also looked up as he did and saw what he saw. He saw her look down and look at Shagotte, a look of pure surprise on her face. "Those aren't soldiers." She repeated as if confirming her words.

He turned towards Shagotte, and saw her nod her head, a small smile on her snout as she did so. "Your friend is quite the charming fellow. A bit simple-minded, but he can get people rallying under his cause if need be." He looked back up, and saw, in the middle of the chaotic fighting, a familiar blue cat holding onto a woman wielding a sword and donning armor. He didn't need to think twice to realize that those two were Happy and Ellen.

"And that woman that was with him," He turned back towards Shagotte. "She managed to turn his ragtag group of followers into a passable militia. Telling them to follow her orders as they charged at those rides, she managed to make those villagers smash a good amount of them before some started to get injured. She's quite the captain that one." He wasn't exactly surprised to hear that. Out of the three of the people that he had met here, Ellen had been the one that had the sound head on her shoulders, sounding like she knew what to do in situations that needed a calm mind. Edward was the voice of reason, and Nero… he didn't know. He didn't feel regret that he had died, but he did feel… some lament that he didn't know what he was in their little clique.

He looked back up, and sure enough, he saw Ellen directing the Exceed around her and Happy. Pointing in different directions as she ordered them to take down each ride methodically and surely. There was no hesitation in movements, and she even joined in with those around her in following her own orders.

"The strength to make others follow you even in the face of danger." He heard Shagotte say, her voice wistful and almost longing. He turned back towards her, and saw that she was sporting a melancholy smile. "Truly an amazing gift you Fairy Tail wizards have."

He heard Carla scoff. "Now you believe us?" Her tone was accusatory, yet also mildly curious.

He saw Shagotte look over towards Carla, before her melancholic smile turned into a full-blown wistful one. "Your friend, Happy." A strange almost imperceptible look appeared on Shagotte's face. He almost missed it, but even though he caught a glimpse of it, he wasn't sure what to make of that look. "He is quite the man. A fitting catch."

He had a feeling he was missing context here, but before he could point that out, Carla spoke up. "I-I believe you have the w-wrong impression." Now that was strange. He looked towards Carla, and saw what looked to be a blush beginning to form on her face. It was miniscule, and had it not been for the fact that her ears were red as well he would have missed it.

Still missing context here. But he decided he'd just drop it, no use trying to figure that out if it wasn't anything dangerous.

"Regardless," He turned towards Lilly, and he was reminded that he was still being carried like a woman would be by a man. "An army of regular men and women can only go so far. We must make haste and give aid. The enemy are machines, they will not stop, and they will not rest. They will overwhelm them in a matter of minutes if the head is not cut off." Lilly said, his voice grim and holding a bit of apprehension.

Huh, for a minute there, Lilly reminded him of… himself. Given a far more cynical and far more older self, but still, he did remind him of him.

"Pantherlilly is correct." Shagotte began. "My subjects cannot hope to stand against an army made of cold steel. We must find the one controlling them and make haste to stop them."

"You didn't need to repeat yourselves twice." He heard Carla sigh in exasperation. "But I can see the need to." Carla paused, before she turned towards Lilly. "Pantherlilly was it?" She asked the big manlike Exceed.

Lilly nodded his head. "I've heard much about you from your friend Happy." An almost teasing smile appeared on the Exceed's scarred face. "He speaks highly of you."

Carla didn't rise to it, but he did see the faint traces of red begin to appear in her ears. "Can you take us higher? Somewhere we can give Emiya a clear vantage point of the battlefield?" Carla asked, to which Lilly nodded his head.

"I can easily." Lilly said assuredly. It wasn't boastful, merely him speaking the truth of the matter. Lilly then turned around and faced the queen. "Queen Shagotte, I must take my leave." Lilly said. And without even bothering with a reply, his wings folded, before they flapped, forcing air behind them and propelling them upwards.

**XxX**

It was a strange sight. And that was no mean description.

Edolas was full of strange Flora. From vines that grew purple to flowers that towered over trees, Edolas was not short on things that made its air breathable and hospitable.

But the sight right before his eyes could be considered one of the strangest things he had ever seen.

It was a sprout. But more than that, it was a tree. A sprout tree that looked like it was in the early stages of its birth. But that was impossible, at least, he thought so. If this tree matured, it would tower over the entire island and perhaps reach spaces above even the clouds.

But for all its impossibility, the insignia embroidered just above the door that somehow led _into _it told him that it wasn't impossible, merely improbable.

"Do we just knock?" He had blurted out without really thinking. He didn't know how they would take them being here, and he didn't want to find out what they would do if they decided they didn't want them here. He wasn't useless in a fight, and he had been trained to fight wizards ever since he had joined the king's army. But that had been with a platoon, a squad of men standing side by side with him. In a one on one fight, he would no doubt lose and probably suffer major injuries if not death.

So yeah, he was a bit apprehensive going into Fairy Tail's guildhall wearing the king's knight's garments.

"Don't worry." The prince assured him, a small smile gracing his face. He then pointed towards his hand, where a blue insignia just like the one above the entrance was shown. "I'm a member."

He raised an eyebrow in question, a wistful smile on his face despite himself. "Isn't that for Earthland?"

The prince however, just shrugged at him. "Once a member always a member." He said, before he paused and then turned back to him. "Unless they leave or are expelled. Both of which I have not met the criteria for."

With that said, Jellal turned away from him and walked through the door, not a care in the world.

Despite himself, he found himself following, squashing his nervousness as he looked around the guildhall that was… so lively and jolly.

He had to blink once or twice to understand what he was seeing, and when he did, he realized that everyone in this guildhall was basically doing… what his old platoon did when they were on their free time.

Men were drinking by the bar, singing tales of their _horrible_ wives and _beautiful_ women. Women were gossiping in every other table, occasionally giggling as once or twice they looked at some man or even woman. Heck, he even saw an entire table dedicated to playing card games that looked very much like the card games he played with his old army friends.

It was surreal. He wasn't one to stereotype, but through the years of service he had been thought that his enemies were abominations of nature and fiends that chose to fight for themselves. Now that he was here, in the den of those supposed fiends, they were just like any other group of people.

Enjoying life with the people around them.

"A knight!" He heard someone shout. He didn't who shouted or who it came from, but before he could raise his hands in surrender, he was on the ground with a thick leather whip tied around his neck, constricting his windpipe and preventing him from breathing. Grimly he realized, that now he couldn't very well defend himself while choking.

"I don't know how you came about this place," A familiar voice began. It was familiar, recently familiar. But instead of the almost girlish pitch and shy confidence in the voice, there was a tough and borderline arrogant tone to it. "But this will be the last sight you will ever see. Say good-bye Kni- guh?!"

The weight was lifted off his back and the whip detached from his neck. He took in much needed breaths as he scrambled on his feet, reaching for his weapon even though he was still out of breath. It was more an instinctual thing really. He didn't get the feeling that these people would allow him to talk if given the chance, and that had been his best skill. Trying to talk to people.

He looked towards where he heard the voice take off, and saw a blonde woman that looked like the blonde that the Fairy Tail wizards from Earthland had. It took him a second to register that this wasn't the same person since the other one was still probably fighting the Dorma Anim with her guildmates. He then realized that this was Lucy Ashley, one of the key members of Fairy Tail from his world. From his dimension.

"Mystogan?!" Ashley clutched her chest as she looked behind where he was. He followed her gaze, and saw that the prince had a staff extended and pointed towards Ashley. He presumed that he had gotten her off him before he had been strangled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ashley barked as she shook off the hit that Mystogan had dealt. He still felt like he was being scrutinized, but thankfully, most of the looks were redirected towards the prince. Easing the feeling of apprehension he was feeling.

"Stopping you from killing one of the few people that actually _want_ to help." The prince's voice was harsh, almost vindictive in its tone. But it still held a sort of warmth to it, a feeling that Jellal was talking to someone he knew well. All in all, that turned the prince's voice into someone sounding like they were scolding a child.

"Why would he want to help?" Ashley asked, her voice still gruff but this time holding genuine confusion.

In response to that question, he saw Jellal shake his head. "Not help _you._" The prince emphasized the word 'you'. Before he turned away from the blonde and began walking. He made to keep pace. "He wants to save the world."

He felt his face flush under his helmet. Okay, not that it wasn't true. But hearing it spoken so casually makes it sound so… embarrassing. He wondered how Emiya had done it, without at least sounding abashed. It was… it wasn't you go around proclaiming unless you want people to look at you funny. He felt his respect for the red-haired otherworlder grow. He not only made it not sound awkward when he said it, but he made it sound honest and believable as well.

Thankfully for him, the prince's words only garnered snorts of derision and disbelief. Among those that didn't believe him was a woman. Beautiful and fully grown. Her head of dark blue hair that fell to her waist gave her an almost mystifying aura that made him weak in the knees. "You're kidding right?" She spoke in a tone that he had heard-

Oh gods…. Did he just…. Was he attracted to the grown up version of that little blue-haired girl?!

"Not in the slightest." He heard the prince answer for him. He turned back towards the man, and saw that he had stopped in front of another woman with blue hair. Only this time, her hair was short and she was sporting a smirk that practically said 'cocky'.

"Yo," The woman spoke. Her voice confident. "What brings you heard 'Stogan? Here to check on our baby?" Something about the way the woman spoke told him that she wasn't talking about flesh and blood.

"How many times have you used it?" The prince asked, his voice betraying none of his emotions.

The cocky blue-haired woman was about to answer, but she was interrupted by another voice. He turned towards it and saw that it was still Ashley, and she was approaching them with a gait that practically screamed anger.

"You can't just barge in here and throw me off!" He heard Ashley shout. He gripped his weapon as she continued her approach towards the prince. And despite his entire body telling him 'don't mess with her!', he stepped in between her and Jellal, blocking her march towards the blue-haired monarch.

He saw her eyes go over him, before they stopped at his visors. And even though his eyes were hidden behind the slits in between them, he could tell that she was looking straight into them. "Move aside." Her voice didn't quaver, nor did it stutter. And it told him that if he didn't obey, he would be on the receiving end of her whip again.

He took a breath, a bit louder than it needed to be. Before he countered her words. "No."

His voice didn't quaver, he didn't stutter. And he matched her tone with his own. He understood what she was doing, knew it to a degree even. He was used to talking to people, gruff and meek, shy and proud. He knew just how to talk to them and how to appeal to them.

He didn't take a step back as Ashley took a step forward, practically invading his personal space. He could faintly hear the prince still talking behind him, probably to that cocky blue-haired woman, but he didn't register the words. He could only match Ashley's stare as she approached him, closer and closer until she was practically touching his helmet with her head.

He wanted to turn or step back. He was never the best fighter. He was the diplomat of the trio, the one that did the talking. It was because of him (though he didn't much like to admit it), that Ellen, Nero, and him had been promoted to knights in the first place. It was usually Ellen or Nero who did the fighting.

But they weren't here, and he was alone. He had agreed to come with the prince because he wanted to help, to do something that could be said that he helped save the world. Not because he wanted fame, but because he just… wanted to. He never expected to be stared down by one of Edolas' fiercest wizard.

Finally, Ashley took a step back. "You've got bone in that suit don't ya?" Her voice was amused, and when he refocused onto her face, he saw that she was grinning at him.

Idly, he wondered why the sudden change in attitude. But then, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I've got a reason to." Was his answer.

Ashley nodded her head at him. "Well, can't say you're a coward. But you mind moving a bit? I've got a bone to pick with the guy behind you." Now she was resorting to asking nicely? Well, as nice as she could anyway. Still, she seemed almost… bipolar at this point.

"Can't do that." He said. He then felt his ears burn as he realized what he was going to say next. "Saving the world business, very hush-hush stuff."

He could literally hear Nero laughing at him now from the afterlife.

In response to his words, instead of laughing or mocking him. Ashley hummed, as if taking his words in serious consideration. "Saving the world huh?" She repeated. He nodded his head at her.

"Saving the world." He confirmed.

"Alright then." Ashley turned, and he relaxed. For a second there, he thought she was going to-

He drew his sword as quick as he could, but it was still slow as Ashley already had her whip wrapped around his right forearm. He felt the whip crack against the metal of his forearm protector, before he felt it getting yanked, arm and all. He fell to the ground in a clatter, his right arm extended as he heard footsteps approaching in front of him. He looked up through his visors, and saw Ashley standing over him with her hands on her hips.

"Saving the world or not. That doesn't have anything to do with Fairy Tail." Ashley stated before she literally walked over him, stepping on his back before making her way towards the prince.

"You mind telling me what saving the world has to do with you and a knight being here?" He scrambled to his feet as he heard Ashley speak. He turned around, and was met with the back of the blonde as she stared down the man a full head taller than her.

In response to Ashley's words, Jellal only raised an eyebrow. "I'm part of this guild right?" The prince asked, a hint of dry confusion in his voice. He could tell that he was being sarcastic now. "And as part of this guild, I would want to make sure it survives right?"

He saw Ashley sigh before she shook her head. "I thought we were done." She began, exasperation evident in her tone.

"We will be," The prince said with a nod. "When we agree that this is in your best interest too."

"And I thought I told you that we want no part of this." Ashley countered. "We've done everything you asked us Mystogan. Our agreement was that you don't get us involved in the fighting."

"Our _agreement,_" Jellal emphasized the word. "Was that you would help me save this world. That you would help me save Fairy Tail."

"It was at this point he realized that this was a conversation repeated multiple times already. These two were going at it like it was rehearsed, like it was expected. He was a bit miffed that he lacked some context, but gathering what he could, he could guess that they were talking about the needs and wants of saving the world.

"Both of you shut up!" He turned his head, and saw the long blue-haired woman approaching the both of them. She walked past him, and he couldn't help but admire her long and slender bac – No. Nope. He wasn't going to think about this.

"If you two keep bickering about crap like this, then neither of you will get anything done at all!" Her tone was that of a mother scolding her children. Though her words were that of a thug that was in a bar. It was an odd mixture.

He looked up to the prince, before he saw the prince nod. Jellal then turned around and faced the other blue-haired woman. "How many times?" He emphasized each word in his question, as if the saving grace of the world depended on their so called 'baby'.

In response to his question, the blue-haired woman shrugged. "About ten or twelve times, not really sure which end though. Your little Fairy Hunter really strangled us for a while, but your little work of art saved our asses from a premature death." The short-haired woman then locked eyes with Jellal. "You sure you don't want to give me the schematics? I reckon I'd be able to make a more powerful one. One that'll take us off this godforsaken floating meteor."

"And what makes you think it's not powerful enough to do that now?" Jellal spoke in a confident tone. He could just imagine the smirk on the man's face.

In response, the woman he was talking too abruptly stood up, her chair scraping against the floor underneath it. "What?!"

The prince didn't answer, and instead, turned around and faced the blonde that was still behind him. "I want you to think about this Lucy." Jellal's tone was deathly serious. He could feel the atmosphere around them grow heavier from the words themselves.

In response, he heard the woman scoff. "Think about what?" She said. Her tone was full of bravado, but from the slight quiver in it, he could tell that she knew this was serious as well.

"Think about what you're going to do next." Jellal began. He raised a hand as he saw Ashley begin to speak, interrupting her. "What I have, what Fairy Tail has, is a magical artifact powerful enough to save not only this world, but also another. What Fairy Tail has is our hope, our dreams for a better future. What Fairy Tail has is the ability to save countless numbers of lives, or doom them to death." The prince's words were damning, they filled him with a sense of apprehension that if Ashley so chose, she could doom this world and the people inside of it.

And yet, even if those words were hinging on Ashley's decision, he couldn't take his eyes off the prince. This was a man he could follow, could die for. This was a man that knew what was at stake, yet chose to play with his hand shown. A man that shared the same virtues of not only him, but also his friends.

"Think Ashley." Jellal's words echoed in the silence his previous ones caused. "Save the world, or die with it?"

**XxX**

He couldn't keep this up.

"Gah!" That was Erza. Their Erza. She had been smashed aside by the dragon's tail, and this time, it didn't look like she was getting up. He had followed her arc, and watched as her armor dissipate as she flew. He would have made chase to try and catch her, but he was too busy trying to keep the claws from reaching his neck.

**Watch Dragon Slayer.**

"Erza!" Damn it Gray! Don't break format-

It was too late. The tail had swept around and caught the ice mage the same way it had Erza. Smashing against his chest, sending him flying head over heels through the air. Only this time, there was no wall to stop his momentum. And so the ice mage flew, and flew, and flew, and flew. He flew until he landed on the ground face first, skidding against the ground and shoveling dirt with his face. He skidded and stopped, his back arcing until he landed on his chest, unmoving.

He would have made fun of him, but he wasn't moving. Not anymore. Fear gripped his heart, and he felt as if he had lost a brother.

**Watch as each of your friends die before you.**

Next to go was Knightwalker. An armored claw splitting the spear she wielded in two. It dissipated into blue motes, motes that weren't even done disappearing before the claws were raised and slashed upwards, groin to shoulder.

He winced as he watched her land on the ground. The dirt around her staining red from the blood that was pooling out of her. It was amazing she was still managing to move, but from the amount of blood dripping from her, and the amount of blood that saturated the ground all around her, he could tell that even if she had survived the attack, she would bleed out soon.

**A pity you had to die Knightwalker. You were such a useful tool.**

He struggled against the claws, but it only served to lessen the distance between his throat and the claw itself. He wanted to ignite his hands, to put fire into them so he could at least soften the metal in the claw, but he couldn't. Every time he did the fires would disperse into smoke, before they were all sucked into the Dorma Anim's… something. He didn't know if it was its claws, its core, or its force field. But whatever it was, it prevented him from using his flames, lest it be used against him instead.

The baloney was not lost on him… wait, that wasn't right. Baloney? Attorney? No, it started with an I….

**Stay still, your time will come after your friends'.**

He was broken out of his thoughts as the claws descended again, this time, towards the other Dragon Slayer.

Gajeel caught the claws with both his hands, managing to stop them like he had by mere inches from his throat. He could tell the iron Dragon Slayer was struggling though. Through gritted teeth and almost manic eyes, he could tell that his fellow Dragon Slayer was on his last legs as well.

**Ha**

He turned his head at the sound.

**Ha ha!**

He grit his teeth in frustration. He didn't need this, he didn't want this right now!

**Hahahaha! Dragon Slayers?! These are Dragon Slayers?! These are the ones the Exceed fear? The ones that the Exceed would cast their sons and daughters for? These are the mighty and fearsome ancient ones?!**

The laughing was grating, yet all he could do was push against the claws that threatened to kill him. He saw Gajeel doing the same as well, pushing and trying to get the claws away.

But it was for nothing. The claws were too heavy, and they both held no leverage as their backs were to the ground. They couldn't even use their legs and feet as the ground was too uneven from the rubble that they were laying on.

**Pitiful! To think we feared the Exceed when they fear beings as low as 'Dragon Slayers'. You aren't even strong enough to face the full might of my army, let alone the Dorma Anim!**

The words were mocking, were meant to hurt and distract. And they did, he felt the claws push against him, closer and closer to his neck. It came to the point that if he swallowed, he felt that his throat would tear and he would bleed out.

**Your monikers aren't suited for you. You are nothing but gnats beneath my heels, fleas that threaten to destroy our world by taking everything for yourselves. You pitiful little-**

"WIND DRAGON'S ROAR!" A sudden shout, louder than normal and possessing an innate desperation rang out. It was followed by an intense gust of wind. No, it was no mere gust. It was a veritable tornado. The air dissipated, parted as a sudden onset of newly made air pushed through.

It was strong, so strong that it had managed to uproot even the grass around them. No, not the grass, it was the ground itself that was giving way. Splotches of dirt that were firmly rooted to the ground had begun to lift, the numerous number of debris that surrounded them also followed. Even the buildings around them seemed to sway under the immense pressure, threatening to fall to the ground or risk blowing with the wind itself.

It was awesome, it was powerful, and it was what a real Dragon Slayer could do.

All it did was budge the Dorma Anim by a few inches.

But it was enough. It was enough for the claws to lighten, the brief second off the ground that came from the Dorma Anim moving had created an opportunity. And he had enough sense to take it, pushing against the claws before using his legs on the ground to kick himself away.

He skid through the ground before he flipped and landed on his feet. Taking large skipping steps as he made as much distance from the mechanical dragon from himself as possible.

He landed where the previous roar initiated. Where Wendy was panting and grabbing her knees as she struggled to breath. He couldn't help but turn to her and give her the brightest grin he could.

"That was awesome Wendy!" It really was! Her roar had managed to move the Dorma Anim through sheer wind power alone! That was like… a thousand times better than what he had done so far!

"Gotta admit," He raised his head. Gajeel! He had used that opportunity too! Awesome! "Salamander's right. Ya managed to do something that all of us took forever to do. Almost seemed impossible actually."

He felt a bit peeved at Gajeel's words. "Maybe for you lughead. But for Fairy Tail, nothing ain't impossible!" That's right. That should shut him-

"You do realize that three negatives make another negative right?" Gajeel said. He felt a surge of annoyance.

"What the hell does math have to do with this you ironhead?!" Seriously?! What the hell! There were no numbers there! And if there were there wouldn't be any negative ones! Those damn things were too confusing as is!

"Ya got hot fumes for your brains!?" Gajeel countered, butting heads with him. "Numbers don't mean jack here! I was talkin' bout grammar! Something you should already know!" After a second, Gajeel continued. "And what do you mean "maybe for me"?! I'm part of Fairy Tail too!"

"I never said you weren't!" He countered, this was getting annoying! "And what do negatives have to do with language! Erza never thought me any of that!"

"Guys!" He turned his head towards Wendy, who had closed her eyes and had her hands balled into fists while leaning towards them. "Don't start fighting now!"

He was about to say that they weren't fighting, more like debating, but the ground shook before he could.

**I will admit, I never expected that kind of power to come from someone so small.**

He was annoyed at the words. "Hey! Wendy's just as strong and powerful as any other Fairy Tail wizard! Dragon Slayer or not!" No one underestimated his friends but him! Which reminded him… "Except for that stripper Gray! He's weak!"

The dragon's maw opened, before it let loose a warbled cry followed by the sound of King Faust's demented laughter. The extra octaves given by the Dorma Anim only resulted in making Faust's voice deeper and more menacing than usual.

**I could care less about Fairy Tail now. I was talking about Dragon Slayers. I had clearly underestimated the power hidden underneath your frail human bodies.**

"Keep talking you rat-faced coward!" Gajeel shouted from his side. "Our bodies are just as strong as any other dragon's! And we're gonna use them to smash your face in!"

**Truly now? You think you have the power to overpower my Dorma Anim? The pinnacle of human engineering? The Dorma Anim which, as I'll remind you, defeated each and every last one of your Fairy Tail friends?**

"Don't think for a second that'll make us second guess!" He was the one shouting this time, he felt both Gajeel and Wendy step beside him to his right. And that was enough for him. "A dragon is still a dragon! And we're wizards that were trained to slay dragons!"

Again Faust laughed. The Dorma Anim's tail swished behind it as if it was alive, and for a second, he was confused as to why it did that. But he didn't get to contemplate the reason as Faust was talking again.

**Come then, try and best me. Slay my dragon, defeat me. For if you lose, then my wrath will be tenfold of what you do.**

"Guys." He turned his head towards his right, towards Wendy. Gajeel had also turned towards Wendy, only his head turning to his left. "I… I think we should forget about looking for a weak spot."

His eyes locked unto Wendy's small frame, before he felt a grin appear on his face. He then turned towards Gajeel, and saw him smirking to his grin. Apparently, he had been taught the same as well.

"Remember what our parents taught us Wendy?" He asked, eliciting a surprised look from Wendy as she turned towards him. His grin only grew. "About fighting dragons? About fighting each other?"

Wendy's eyes nodded her head. "A dragon is a strong and proud creature," Wendy began, as if quoting something.

"A creature that has no weaknesses," It was Gajeel that continued. Gajeel's eyes had a modicum of excitement in it. "A creature that will sunder the ground it steps on."

"A dragon is something no human can beat," He took over this time, both Gajeel and Wendy's eyes locked towards his own. "Therefore, when facing a dragon, you do everything in your power to make sure you're not alone."

He took solace in those words, as did the other two near him. This was the first lesson that was taught to him by Igneel, a lesson taught to him when he was only a child. A human child with fear of his parent and awe at their power.

"But," Gajeel continued. He nodded his head, first at Gajeel, and then at Wendy, before he turned to face forward again. Towards the dragon that they were going to face. "We aren't human."

"We aren't weak," He took over again. He felt his hand get grabbed by softer and smaller ones. He squeezed his hand around them, and through his peripheral vision, he could see that Gajeel was in very much the same situation. "We are men and women that were trained with a purpose. With a passion."

"We are Dragon Slayers." Wendy finished, her hand squeezing his own. "We face a dragon as if facing an equal. For we are the only ones that can."

"We are Dragon Slayers." Gajeel joined Wendy as she continued. "We fight a dragon without backing, without stopping."

"**We are Dragon Slayers.**" He joined, and together, their voices melded. Three voices becoming one, three dragons joining to slay a fourth. "**And we will slay dragons!**"

He took a breath, and felt his fellow Dragon Slayers doing the same. He felt the magic from each one of them begin to disperse between their arms. Acting as conduits to amplify each of their strength with each others. The ground shook as the power between them seemed to boil over, seemed to make the very air around them hotter.

"**Unison Raid:"** They all began, their voices one. He watched as the Dorma Anim took a step back. He didn't know if it was from fear or if it was bracing itself. But it didn't matter.

The air stilled, the ground stopped, the sun dimmed. Finally, as one, they roared.

"**Dragon's Chorus!"**

**XxX**

**I broke my rules again. Damn it. Breaking the 15'000 word count. Geez man, that's a new record for me.**

**So, for those of you that read the top AN, you're probably guessing when I had started writing this chapter from the ground up, and had probably thought I had started writing on the 31****st**** of December last year. You are right on the money.**

**Honestly though, don't remind me of my computer… because I bought a new one! WOOOOO!**

**Well, a gaming laptop, but hey, it's something right? And now I can write stuff, on the go! And while that's exciting and all, that's not the only thing I have. I am now also a proud owner of a current gen handheld. That's right! A 2DS! What? Expecting something else?**

**Meh, never cared for 3d anyway. Makes my eyes hurt. Besides, all I'm after are pokemon and Fire Emblem… also Bravely Default and its sequel, but what the heck, I still got a 2DS.**

**Now that my personal life is out of the way, let's discuss this chapter.**

**Honestly speaking, I'm amazed that I managed it as well as I did after repeating it. The general outline is the same, but now that I got a second look at this, I realize that this is a far better one than the original lost one. And I'm honestly very proud that it came out like this.**

**That's all for now though, the next one on the chopping block would be… Azure Blade Works and then Gaming Magus. After that, it's time to draw straws.**

**So without further ado, I'm gonna leave you guys and go play Fire Emblem. Oh, and FYI: I paired my Robin (M) with Cordelia. Red heads are my weakness man!**

**C.O.Y.L out, peace!**

**P.S: In the spirit of being lazy. I'm going to post this chapter in all its unedited glory! So enjoy the grammar mistakes and such. Don't worry though, I'll get to editing it when I get home from classes tomorrow.**


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